


男旦

by cwtchbuddy



Category: EXO (Band), 上瘾 | Addicted | Heroin (Web Series) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Peking Opera, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, M/M, Performance Art, Performing Arts, Romance, Same Performer in Different Roles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-27 03:04:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7600960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cwtchbuddy/pseuds/cwtchbuddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yifan never thought that he’d like the dying art of Jingju until an actor in white came in, took the stage and eventually Yifan’s heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act I: Lady White

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the reLAY Summer Fest :) A big fat thank you to my Katja for all the help you gave me from the very beginning and for never tiring in motivating me to write something that I’ve been dying to do :> I will add links to the plays that I’ve based certain scenes from so you can watch them later on! I hope you enjoy the read! :)
> 
> 男旦 (Nán dàn) are male actors who play female roles in Peking Opera (Jingju)

Gloomy skies hover over the skyscrapers of Beijing, the impending rain introducing its presence through the howling winds banging against the windows. The noise doesn’t affect the gossips and banter going on in the 24th floor of the Long Zhi Yan Business Tower however, people go about their day as they exchange stories for their plans for the weekend. The chatter in the floor only dies down when the elevator doors open to reveal bushy eyebrows over a piercing gaze and lips shut tight foregoing a morning greeting, the signs of stocked anger, or as they call in the office, Wu Yifan. The tall male struts towards his office like a model, his white shirt wraps around his torso to accentuate his ripped body, his legs seemingly more elongated with his tight-fitting pants, his dark brown hair styled in a pompadour to show off the sharp angles of his face as a thick-rimmed pair of spectacles sit atop his nose bridge. People part like The Red Sea to make way for the Liaison Department’s Team Leader, afraid to be on the other end of the man’s wrath, his presence enough to silence and sway everyone around him.

Yifan walks through the aisles until he reaches his office, trying not to slam the door when he closes it. Just moments after entering his small space, his secretary is already knocking at the door, not opening it until his boss allows him to come in. The team leader opens it himself, walking to his desk afterwards, hanging his coat and placing his laptop case on the table before fixing himself a coffee.

Xu Weizhou, his secretary, stands just by the entrance with the door closed, waiting for Yifan’s orders before moving. When the team leader turns around, he stretches an arm to prompt the younger to move forward and transfer the folder he has on his hands into his boss’ palm. Yifan sips on his coffee, furrowing his eyebrows at how nervous his secretary looks like.

“Weizhou, relax, I’m not going to shout at you,” Yifan says as he places his mug on the table before opening the folder given to him, “Zitao and Jingyu will not let me hear the end of it if I did.” Even with the reassurance, the secretary still stays silent, a hint of fright evident in his eyes as he backs up slowly. The younger has only been working for Yifan for a month in place of his boyfriend Jingyu who has left to focus on his newly opened Brazilian JiuJitsu Dojo. For some, that might be enough time already to be comfortable with the people they work for and with. However, even though Yifan has rarely raised his voice towards him before, the younger can’t help but be intimidated by the other’s tall stature and what many call his resting bitch face. Even if his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s cousin told him that Yifan is a good guy, a part of him still stays behind the partition between him and the team leader, keeping some of his words to himself in fears of saying something that will make the elder explode.

“This is all for today?” Yifan asks, startling Weizhou from his stupor. He looks at the piece of paper where the schedule of their Canadian counterparts has been printed, checking to see that their day will start in an hour. Being the team leader of the Liaison Department and the most fluent English speaker in their office, Yifan has been given the task to welcome and make sure that the Canadian executives and investors who will be arriving to visit their company are well taken care of during their stay.

“Yes, boss,” Weizhou stutters when the elder shifts his gaze to him, bowing his head to avoid the intense eyes of the elder.

“Okay,” the team leader senses the atmosphere and quickly dismisses the other, “just remind me when the time is close,” he taps on the paper before closing the folder, placing it on the corner of his desk before sitting on his chair. He just nods when Weizhou bows to him before leaving, quickly turning his attention to other things waiting for him to tend to.

 

Ten o’clock comes by with another knock on Yifan’s door, Weizhou poking his head in to remind him of the arrival of their executives from their Canadian branch. He stands up with a nod, closing his laptop and straightening his tie before wearing his coat, giving himself one last look in the mirror before leaving the confines of his office.

Yifan has met these people before when he was still just a liaison officer, being sent to Vancouver to settle some problems they had with employees appointed by their branch. The executives were glad with the job he did, even going as far as asking for him to stay behind and work for their branch instead but the request was vehemently rejected by the President, wanting to keep his best employees in the main branch. That was three years before, when Yifan was still an eager and smiling novice with a lot of enthusiasm. But as the years passed and the weight of his responsibility became heavier, the smile became upturned and the expression seems to have decided to stay on the team leader’s lips. Even so, he is still very efficient and effective in his post, something the people he works with cannot deny.

The team leader offers a tight-lipped smile and a firm handshake to the Canadian executives, English greetings falling from his lips as he welcomes them in the lobby of the building. Weizhou, who’s standing behind him, is still in awe at how good his boss’ English is despite knowing the fact that the elder finished his degree in Canada. Yifan ushers the higher ups to the President’s office, Weizhou at his heel to tap the elevator buttons as he is occupied in conversing with the tall Caucasian men. The team leader points to rooms they pass by on their way to the President’s office, Zitao saluting to him when they pass by the marketing department who are having a meeting in one of the conference rooms.

After exchanges of pleasantries, they quickly go down to business, going through the successful year of the Vancouver branch and some of the problems they encountered and the solutions they have implemented for them. Yifan knows about these quite well, the liaison officers sent to their Canadian branch reporting to him about the problem, its progress and its resolution. The hours pass by with them finishing just before lunchtime, Weizhou gently tapping at his watch to remind his boss of the time. Thankfully their counterparts wrap things up quickly, maybe feeling the hunger as well since almost two hours have already passed.

They have their lunch at the President’s favourite, a restaurant at the hotel near their office building, making sure they serve authentic Chinese food to the foreigners. Some of them like it, some don’t but they don’t openly say anything about the food. Yifan can just see it in the way they eat less of the dishes they don’t like, the grimace that overcomes their face that they quickly school to go back to normal, munching on the rest of the food so as not to be seen as rude. The Canadians still thank them for the meal though, excitedly diverting the topic from the food to the factory that they will be visiting next. The team leader isn’t annoyed by it, only thankful that they can move along with their schedule without any delays.

The stop at the factory is probably the longest. The Canadian executives and investors meticulously inspect everything, watching the production floor to look at how each of the product is being assembled and if they can spot some of the new ones that are to be released to the Chinese market in the coming months. They meet with the heads working directly in the production, eyes popping in wonder at each area of the floor.

Dinner compared to lunch seems to be better for the Canadians, the food more pleasant to their palate this time. Conversations flow on their table, crossing the boundary of work to more personal matters. The team leader only listens as the foreigners talk to the President, never joining such conversations. With the intimidating air surrounding him the others don’t bother coaxing him to partake in their exchange anyway. He wonders if he comes off that strong when he thinks he is more amiable to higher ups, seeing as they are still his bosses. But he doesn’t think too much of it and is just grateful that he can enjoy his food in peace. The next and last stop for the day is what Yifan dreads, bringing the Canadian execs to watch Peking Opera.

 

~///~

 

The inside of the theater smells like a mixture of rained on wood with a faint scent of green tea. It looks old even on the outside but the place has been kept well-maintained throughout the years allowing for it to be used until today.

Yifan follows the receptionist and directs their Canadian counterparts and his boss to their balcony seats. It is their first time to welcome guests from their Canadian branch and Yifan’s boss thought it would be best to bring them to watch the opera, a national treasure that’s considered to be a dying art with the youth’s preference for modern music and contemporary art.

“It best represents our country,” he remembers his boss saying. So Yifan has booked four seats for them as the President insisted that the team leader should join them. But since the balcony area only allows three people, and he wanted for their guests to get a royal treatment, he had to reserve an additional seat from below, the remaining one just right before the stage. He has never been a fan of performing arts, though he does listen to music, as any person would, but he never goes to watch these kinds of shows. He has a lack of interest, even for concerts of famous artists, whether local or international, and he is just much too lazy and would rather sleep than spend his _precious time_ in an old building watching an old art form.

He doesn’t know that all of that is about to change.

Yifan takes his seat, removing his coat because of the poor ventilation in the room while his eyes scan the crowd. As he surveys through the rows of people, he realizes that it is mostly composed of elderly people who are probably in the theater to reminisce the olden days when the plays were held long, for hours on end, when opera actors were revered like gods even at a time when their country was slowly falling to the claws of their enemies. He looks at the brochure in his hand, one given to him and his bosses by the receptionist. It talks about the performance that night which is an almost three-hour long play that in the following days will be shortened to show certain acts only. The team leader knows about the story that will unfold in front of him, of the original one the play is based on as well as the version that has been tweaked over time and is more known by the citizens and even of the younger generation.

The tall male rakes his fingers through his hair, the styling wax already losing its stickiness because of the changing conditions that Yifan has been subjected to throughout the day. His hair falls limp over his head as he reads the title, his eyes following the illustrations behind it.

_The Legend of the White Snake._

The lights in the hall are dimmed and only the stage lights are lit, the orchestra taking it as a cue to warm up and play randomly yet still harmoniously. Yifan isn’t irritated by the sound despite it being, by his standards, loud and repetitive. He somehow finds himself anticipating what will come after, something that hasn’t happened in a while. When he looks around, he sees that he isn’t the only one feeling that way, the people around him are also getting excited over the music, muttering about how the sounds remind them of the past. Then the heavy crimson drapes slowly open to reveal an empty stage, its size smaller than what most celebrities these days perform at. Yifan can sense the ecstatic air around him; hearing the seats creak as their owners sit on the edge, tea cups clinking against their porcelain saucers as they’re placed back on the table so the drinker can focus on the performance, and the low thrum of collective whispers as they share what they expect to see.

The start of the play doesn’t really do anything to pique Yifan’s interest, his anticipation kept at a steady low level as actors, in what can be considered simple clothes back in the day, walk around the small stage interacting by singing their lines in a way that is distinctly Peking Opera. Then the extras seem to disperse as an actor comes in decked out in blue from head to toe, robes bright but still not enough to pull the team leader’s attention.

Only when an actor comes in with graceful movements and an entrancing voice, did the tall male’s eyes widen, focus honing in on the performer in white. Yifan knows from the very moment the actor stepped on stage that she (or maybe he, the team leader can’t be sure) is the star of the show. The actor’s face is caked with makeup, face covered heavily with white powder, reddish pink accentuating the eyelids and black paint framing his head. But Yifan doesn’t care for the heavy makeup because, for some reason, he thinks the actor is beautiful even without it, despite not knowing who he or she is, or what the person will look like without the garish do.

Yifan leans and stays on the edge of his seat, hands gripping his chair’s armrests as he watches closely, not letting any motion go unseen by his eyes, listening attentively to every dip and rise in note. He is completely enraptured by this actor’s presence and he is sure everybody else in the room is too, judging by the way they clap every time the performer finishes a particularly hard part of the song, whether it’s because of the sudden fast beat or because the performer has to repeat some of the syllables in accordance with the arrangement. The tall male looks on in fascination at the actor, wondering how the person behind the movements is able to maintain the shrill quality of their voice throughout the performance without it going hoarse or cracking when they are doing fight scenes.

The team leader doesn’t even completely follow the story anymore, unperturbed by the lack of the original scenes they have decided to remove to keep the play within its promised three hours. His eyes barely recognize the minimal additions to the stage from act to act; a chair and table here, a rock there, a mountain here. All he can do is to keep his gaze on the actor. He wants to be able to put every dip and curve of the performer’s face and the way the performer flicks their wrists to raise the flowy water sleeves into memory, to retain every expression the artist paints on their face with each turn of emotion. His ears make certain that they are able to hear every change in the actor’s voice, recording the way the voice rises and falls so Yifan can listen to it again later and push himself into the abyss created by the sweet sound once he is in the confines of his empty home.

As the story reaches its ending with Bai Suzhen, played by Yifan’s ‘favorite actor’, holding her child while she sings to the innocent one before she is taken to meet her death, the team leader finds his face falling as he listens to the lead actor’s voice, the sorrowful sound of farewell carrying throughout the hall before lodging a special place in the hearts of its listeners. The tall male knows he isn’t capable of being moved, at least not anymore, remembering that he has not shed a tear for anyone in the past few years. However, when he hears the disconsolate tone coming out from the actor’s crimson lips, he feels his heart shatter into a million pieces, his hands cold with sweat even as the curtains meet in the middle to close.

His tea goes cold throughout the performance, having been neglected in favor of focusing on how the changing fabrics of white flow and wrap perfectly around the actor’s svelte body, on the ornate embellishments atop the actor’s head and that voice, that voice that has Yifan falling into an abyss of eternal solace. He could listen to that voice over and over again, even enter a melancholic stupor because of it and he wouldn’t mind.

When the heavy draperies that cover the stage part once more Yifan finds himself standing up along with everybody else, hands clapping until they are red and hurting, applauding the talent in front of him with his whole heart. Every fiber of his being agrees that he needs to meet this person who has, for the first time, claimed his undivided attention. Thankfully, each actor is introduced to the audience and Yifan patiently waits for the last but definitely not the least, ears perking up when he sees the actor in white take center stage.

_Zhang Yixing._

The performer gives a ninety-degree bow once his name is announced and Yifan tries his very best to catch the actor’s attention, eyes boring through the other unknowingly. Once the actor’s eyes make contact with his, he holds it there and mouths You did great, hoping the other understood it.

 

Once the show is completely over, Yifan rushes to escort their counterparts into their car, waving them goodbye with a promise to meet with them again the next day for their scheduled tour. He also says a quick farewell to his boss, abruptly thanking the elderly for bringing him along; the President is surprised but brushes it off quickly. Yifan hurries to return to the theater, hoping to still catch the actor from earlier, seeing a throng of people even from far away. Along the way to the theater he spots a flower shop and against his rational mind, he goes in and buys a bouquet, uncaring whether it is to the actor’s liking or not, just hoping the other isn’t allergic to it. He chooses the most colourful of the bunch, reminiscent of the graceful actor’s vibrancy on stage. A bouquet that he thinks will rival but never win against the actor’s beauty.

Yifan fixes his clothes, giving up on salvaging his hair, hoping he doesn’t look too much of a rag doll with his messy hairstyle. He decides to forego wearing his coat as the weather will surely make him perspire even more and he doesn’t want to present himself to the actor in such a way. Once the plaza is clear, he walks forward to wait by the entrance of the theater. His fingers tighten around the bundled stems every now and then, nervous as he thinks of words to say to the actor once the two men finally come face to face. He draws a blank however, all thoughts startled out of his mind when he hears a boisterous voice shout behind him: “Bye Yixing!”

When he turns towards the opening to the theater, he finds a man who may just be around his age or a bit younger. The actor’s face is free of any makeup yet he is still as dazzling, if not even more, when he was on stage. The other stops in his tracks when he sees the tall suited man gawking at him. He bows slightly before swerving to hurry past Yifan.

“E-exc-cuse m–e.” Yifan splutters when he realizes that the other just walked by him, lurching forward to catch up to Yixing. When the actor looks at him with wide eyes he quickly shakes his head, hoping to jumpstart his brain that went haywire just with the mere sight of the actor. He tries to pull out his inner businessman, the one that commands everyone’s attention, but when he looks at the smaller man before him he only blinks and shrinks back to his uncharacteristically small self.

“Sorry but I have to go.” Yixing finally says, his tone calm with no hint of annoyance. There is even an apologetic smile drawn on his face and even though slight, Yifan can see a dimple on the other’s cheek.

_Just when I thought I’ve already regained my composure._

“Wait, umm, here,” before the other can turn around to leave, Yifan thrusts the bouquet into Yixing’s hand. The actor accepts it though the taller male can see the obvious confusion written all over his face, “I was just,” the team leader grapples for his words, unbelieving of the reaction he has to the situation he’s found himself in because this has never happened to him before. Wu Yifan at a loss for words, his colleagues wouldn’t believe it.

“I just thought you were really amazing.” Yifan smiles after spilling the praise sitting at the tip of his tongue, inwardly congratulating himself even if his cheeks are burning with embarrassment as he rubs the back of his neck.

“Oh, thank you,” the smile on the actor’s face is in full bloom and Yifan doesn’t think his heart can take it any longer, “I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”

“Yixing, right?” The actor hums in reply, eyes inspecting the colourful bouquet in his hands. Yifan pats himself on the back for the good choice, watching the other in wonder.

They are still standing close to the entrance of the theater, having only moved a few paces away from it. The lights are already closing one by one as the last of the performers leave, having wrapped up another successful day at work. With the decreasing lights, Yifan thinks Yixing’s beauty glows even more and without preamble he says: “I’d love to see you more.”

 

~///~

 

Just like any other day, the giggles and boisterous voices that run rampant in the 24th floor completely disappear when Yifan walks in the next day. But unlike before, eyes follow him this time while he crosses the aisles to get to his office, his colleagues whispering to each other about his apparent good mood as he smiles to people he passes by. He doesn’t greet them good morning with words but with his smile and he can see the way the others return the gesture with a puzzled expression on their faces. Even Weizhou who greets him with a smile everyday, falters when he sees Yifan smiling to him first, his lips quivering as they curve up.

Weizhou reluctantly knocks at the door when he’s stacked up the papers he has to present to his boss. He almost falls back in surprise when Yifan opens it, the smile still plastered on his face. The team leader takes the folders on his secretary’s arms, the younger unable to say anything from his boss’ sudden action. They stand by the entrance of Yifan’s office as the elder sifts through the documents waiting for him. Weizhou wonders what happened for his boss to suddenly change in behavior, his stern expression shed for a friendly one. The younger fears that this is just for a while and may only last for the first hour, that the team leader’s mood will easily shift back when he sees something that is not to his liking. He’s also afraid that the other is just pretending to be happy to either erase his subordinates’ fear in him or as a coping mechanism for something bad that occurred.

“Is this their schedule for today?” Yifan’s voice startles Weizhou, waking the younger from his musings. The secretary widens his eyes and shakes his head to clear off unnecessary thoughts. He takes a peek at the folder the other has opened in his hand where tickets to certain tourist attractions in the city are also tucked in.

“Uh, yes boss,” he replies when he sees the other waiting for his reply. The team leader hums and gives his secretary a closed lip smile before returning to his office, closing the door gently and leaving Weizhou back to his thoughts. The younger shakes his head before returning to his desk that’s just right outside of Yifan’s room, his officemates look at him with a questioning look and he already knows what it’s for but because he doesn’t know the answer to it he just shrugs and takes his seat, hearing the others talk about the possible reasons for the team leader’s smile.

 

“Baobei,” Weizhou almost spills his coffee when he feels arms wrap around his waist, the familiar deep voice whispering directly to his ear. He quickly turns around to see Jingyu, wearing a simple white shirt and jeans, his duffel bag hangs on one shoulder while he holds a plastic bag on his hand.

“What are you doing here?” The younger lightly pushes at his boyfriend’s chest when the other leans down hoping for a kiss. Jingyu looks upset at the smaller male’s reaction but he only pouts and demands for a kiss, stomping his feet on the ground like a child throwing tantrums. Weizhou gives in and allows the elder to have nothing but a chaste kiss, pushing the taller male by the lips when he asks for more. He moves away from his boyfriend with his coffee in hand, threatening the elder that he will spill the hot drink on him if he keeps pursuing for another kiss.

“You haven’t answered my question,” Weizhou starts after sipping a little bit from his mug, “What are you doing here?” The younger looks at his watch to see that it’s already half past nine, “Aren’t you supposed to open the gym at ten?” He raises an eyebrow at the other whose hand is on his waist, squeezing it every now and then as the elder eyes him.

Jingyu just grins and answers, “It’s Zitao Ge’s day off today so he’s opening the gym with Fengsong.” He wiggles his eyebrows before leaning forward again, aiming for the younger’s lips with his own. The elder grumbles when Weizhou pushes him off once more, holding up his mug as a threat.

“Why do you look so troubled?” Jingyu inquires when he sees the other lean back against the counter, “When I saw you a while ago you were slowly stirring your coffee and your eyes were unfocused as if you were thinking of something very deeply.” The elder repositions his hand from Weizhou’s waist, rubbing the other’s arm up and down before letting it stay and squeeze the younger’s shoulder. “What’s bothering you?” There is obvious worry in his voice when he asks, eyes following the way his boyfriend’s lips frown.

“He’s smiling,” Weizhou murmurs, eyes not meeting Jingyu’s.

“Who is?” The elder tries not to sound jealous, hearing that another man is troubling Weizhou’s thoughts. He’s relieved when he hears his boyfriend reply with his former boss’ name, “Wu Yifan.” Jingyu almost sighs but instead asks, “So? What’s the problem with that?”

“He’s scarier when he’s like that,” the younger worries and bites his bottom lip after uttering those words, fear tinting his eyes as his fingers fiddle with the handle of his mug. Jingyu chuckles upon hearing his boyfriend’s words though, his laugh dying down when Weizhou shoots him a glare.

“You don’t have to be afraid of him,” Jingyu reassures the younger, hoping that his words will be enough to erase his worries, seeing as he’s worked with Yifan for two years before he moved on to open his own gym. “I don’t see why you guys are so afraid of him,” the elder wonders, leaning against the counter after placing the plastic bag he has been carrying onto the table in front of them. “He’s a really nice guy, he even urged me to open the dojo when I told him about my plans,” he remembers sharing his dreams to his boss after a long day at work, finding themselves in the nearest restaurant to fill their bellies before parting for home. “You’ll see what I’m talking about once you get to know him.”

When he sees that the younger’s mug is already empty, Jingyu snatches it from his boyfriend’s hands, making the other jump as he surprises him with a kiss, his duffle bag falling to the floor as he moves to stand in front of the other.

“Now, I didn’t come all the way here to talk about my former boss,” Jingyu whispers against Weizhou’s lips, moving closer again to mold his own with the younger’s, not allowing for the other to protest anymore.

“We can’t here,” Weizhou manages to say when the elder moves to kiss his neck, he feels his boyfriend smile against his skin, his lips sliding up the pale column until the plump pair reaches his ear.

“We can’t what? I’m just here to kiss you because I’ve missed you so much,” the depth of Jingyu’s voice creates ripples up and down Weizhou’s spine, “What were you thinking, huh?” The taller male teases the younger, his tongue darting out to lick the outline of Weizhou’s ear, “You naughty.”

They hear someone clear their throat from the entrance of the break room. When they see who it is, they jump away from each other, Weizhou even pushing his boyfriend with as much force as he is capable, his face and neck colouring with embarrassment as he starts apologizing.

But Yifan waves them off with a hand, a smile blooming on his lips, “I don’t mind,” he then looks towards the work area before poking his head in, a hand cupping the side of his mouth before he whispers, “Take it someplace else though.” Jingyu smiles and raises a thumb up, much to his boyfriend’s dismay. The team leader seems to think for a bit then he adds, “Since I won’t be here the whole day, you can also take a break Weizhou.” Then he’s off with a wave, the smile never falling from his lips. He doesn’t even wait for his secretary’s reply, walking back to his office with a skip in his steps.

Weizhou just shakes his head at his boyfriend’s enthusiasm, wondering how his boss’ uncharacteristic behavior is not bothering him at all. When Jingyu suggests that maybe the team leader is in love, the younger chuckles and responds with, “Impossible.”

 

~///~

 

Yifan sits down with a smile on his face, unable to remove the curve on his lips ever since the night before. Memories from the theater flash through his eyes again when he thinks about it. He remembers the way his attention was asked for by the actor in white, Yixing, right from the very moment the spotlight was on him. The actor’s movements are still fresh from his memories, the way the fabrics moved as he did, the headdress that he wore that enunciated the little sways and nods and how they all came together to capture Yifan’s eyes. His ears are still filled with the other’s voice, reminiscing how each note either made him smile until his cheeks hurt or struck a chord in his heart that he still cannot forget even hours after it had happened.

Even in his dreams, he was able to see Yixing, the white robes that wrapped around his body flowing towards all directions, keeping Yifan’s vision white under closed lids as the actor sang to him through his dream. He was in too deep that he even wished he didn’t have to wake so he could keep watching Yixing move about with his lithe body and keep listening to the performer’s voice, joyful, sad and entrancing.

The team leader can’t help the little laugh he lets out when he is reminded of what happened after the show, when he thought he had enough courage to face the actor and introduce himself. What he didn’t know was that as charming as his movements are, Yixing’s smile is just as disarming, making Yifan stumble in his words and having to apologize whenever he said something quite embarrassing for a man who is six foot two. His mind instantaneously reels back to their conversation the night before, even if he doesn’t want to with his red cheeks and gummy smile.

 

Yixing was wearing a tank top with a thin hoodie over his shoulders, his backpack looked heavy on his back but he kept smiling when Yifan handed him the bouquet, words of gratitude fell from his plump lips and the team leader all but wanted to check how soft they would be against his own. The tall male nibbled at his bottom lip as his gaze unintentionally fell to where Yixing’s collarbones were shining with sweat.

The actor seemed to blush when Yifan mentioned about wanting to see him more and even though he wasn’t quite sure if the taller male meant it differently, Yixing shyly said, “We have shows here daily so you can come and watch anytime.”

Yifan saw that as an opening, an invitation, and even if that wasn’t what he had meant, he was willing to take it, anything to see Yixing really. So he nodded and smiled, promising to see the other’s show when he could.

“I’m glad that there are still some people who appreciate our art,” the actor confessed shyly. Even with his eyes not meeting Yifan’s, the taller male was able to sense the sadness in his tone and his heart clenched at the other’s words, knowing how it felt not to be appreciated for the thing that you love doing.

Wanting to lift the other’s mood, Yifan blurted out, “Are you kidding? Did you see how crowded the theater was?” He smiled as wide as he could, hoping it would somehow make the actor smile. Yixing did, eyes disappearing into crescents as he laughed at how hard the tall male was trying his best to cheer him up.

“That’s usually how it is for opening nights,” Yixing answered, sighing afterwards as his hands fiddled with the petals of the sunflowers, “but the following nights aren’t are as well-loved even though they are made short to fit the decreasing attention span of theater goers.” The actor chuckled, his shoulders deflated afterwards as he kept moving his fingers from flower to flower, distracting himself from the conversation.

“Well, they’re missing out,” Yifan said, raising his chin up a bit when Yixing looked up to meet his gaze, “you’re an amazing actor and they’re missing half of their life not watching you.” The words seemed to have worked, a genuine smile cracked on the actor’s lips, his eyes twinkled with gratitude as the words went unspoken.

“I will see you then,” Yixing looked at his watch, checking if he could still catch the subway, “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on anything.” Yifan smiled in reply, another promise leaving his lips before he offered to drive the actor home.

“As kind as you are we are still strangers to one another,” Yixing tried to politely decline the taller male’s offer, smiling to hopefully placate the other, “maybe next time.”

Before the actor could leave, Yifan remembered he hadn’t even mentioned his name once, without even thinking he almost shouted, “Wu Yifan.” When Yixing looked at him with wide, confused eyes, he cleared himself and offered his hand for a shake, “My name is Wu Yifan.” The actor hesitantly took it but his grip became firmer as the seconds passed. Just before he released Yifan’s hand, the performer smiled, the indentation on his cheek deeper than the taller male had ever seen it to be, “It was nice to meet you, Yifan.”

The team leader watched as Yixing walked away, the actor turning around twice to smile at him before disappearing into the crowd. The way his name fell from the other’s lips kept playing in Yifan’s mind as he made his way to his car, a smile breaking from his face every time he remembered how warm the actor’s hand felt on his. He didn’t think of anything else on his drive home, wanting to ensure that he wouldn’t forget how his name sounded as it came from Yixing’s lips.

 

Yifan is brought back to reality by a series of knocks on his door, calling whoever it is to come in. Weizhou only pokes his head into the entrance to remind him that the van that he will be using for the tour with the Canadian executives will be arriving in thirty minutes. The team leader thanks his secretary and dismisses him, fixing himself for the day ahead before leaving his office. The tour is simple so Yifan doesn’t worry too much about it since he just needs to play the tour guide for the foreigners. It also helps that the attractions they will be visiting are what most people come to Beijing for despite the heavy smog, making it easier for him because he is sure their counterparts will have an idea about the places already. He just needs to let them be, take as many pictures as they want and answer questions they have that can’t be found in the brochures that Yifan will hand to them.

He is so sure about it but by the end of the tour, he feels more like a babysitter than a guide. The team leader didn’t expect the amount of tourists that day, the Forbidden City feeling more like a concert ground than a tourist spot. He had to keep an eye out for the two foreigners after one of them almost got swallowed by the crowd. It is part of his job and he promised the President that he will keep the Canadians company while they are in Beijing. However, Yifan can’t help but frown at how dishevelled he looks like after the whole tour, his hair sticking to every direction and his shirt soaked with sweat.

To cool off, they decide to have some snacks before going off to buy some souvenirs. Yifan quickly agrees to it, seeing as he’s already parched and needs some place with good air-conditioning, or else he fears he will explode. Before he can go in though, the doors to the restaurant open, the voice that travels from the inside catching Yifan’s ear. When he looks up, he sees Yixing amongst a group of four people, three males and a female. They are all pleasing to the eyes, Yifan must admit but his brown orbs are drawn to nobody but one.

“Yixing,” he breathes out as if in relief, all the exhaustion from the day lifting off his shoulders when the other’s eyes seem to light up in recognition. He hears the others talk to Yixing before they disappear, shoving the actor lightly towards the stranger.

“Hi,” Yixing flushes at the way Yifan is looking at him, the taller male turns his gaze somewhere else when he realizes how uncomfortable he is making the other feel. He fights against his instincts to meet eyes with the other again, not wanting their first encounter away from the theater to be an unpleasant one for the younger. His eyes can’t help it though, darting to the man in front of him before moving to look somewhere else when he sees a brown pair meeting his own. He feels like a highschooler who is in front of his crush with how he is acting but he reckons that’s just really how Yixing makes him feel.

“Kris?” One of the Canadians he is with catches his attention using his English name, the actor startled by the foreign name the taller male has been called with.

“Oh, right,” Yixing hears Yifan speak in English, his pronunciation surprising the actor. “This is Yixing,” the team leader gestures towards the actor, the other smiling at the mention of his name so as not to be rude, “we watched him in the play last night.” Yifan goes on to inform the executives that Yixing is the one who played Bai Suzhen, the two foreigners nodding and suddenly exploding with praises for the smaller Chinese. When the taller male has been able to translate the compliments the Canadians gave the actor, Yixing bows and thanks them as best he can in English.

“Wait for me here,” Yifan tells him, quickly switching to Mandarin after talking to his companions in English but the actor holds on to his arm before he can enter the restaurant with the others. Yixing quickly removes his hand around Yifan’s arm once has the other’s attention, the taller male still feeling the heat the actor has transferred to him even seconds after losing the contact.

“I have to get going,” the smaller male tells Yifan. When the other says he will just order for the foreigners, Yixing shakes his head. “I’ll just see you at the theater, I really need to go.” He looks towards where his friends are waiting for him, whispering to themselves as they watch Yixing’s interaction with the tall male.

“Okay,” Yifan finally gives up, “it was nice seeing you here, really.” He smiles, wide and genuine to show the other that he speaks the truth, his heart constricting when he sees the actor reciprocate with his own dimpled smile.

Once again he watches Yixing walk away, the other looking back only once to avoid the teasing of his friends. Yifan stands under the shade of the restaurant, even long after the actor has disappeared.

“I’ll just see you at the theater,” he repeats Yixing’s words, a rush of excitement surging throughout his body at the thought of seeing the actor again. After realizing how long he has been standing there, he rushes into the restaurant to reunite with the foreigners, promising to himself that he will recharge again soon by seeing Yixing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Click to watch a video of [The Legend of the White Snake](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DIB0N6ZkoGI) :)


	2. Act II: Broken Bridge

Yifan doesn’t get the chance to go back to the theater in the following days, since his time is too occupied playing chaperone for the visiting Canadians on top of the work that he needs to do, making certain that the delegation to the liaison officers match their competencies and that they are doing their job as expected of them. The team leader’s mood slowly deteriorates as the days pass, his smile gradually disappearing as the weekdays move from Monday to Friday. When he arrives at the office on Saturday his face is back to its grumpy expression. The people at the office are not even surprised anymore, even somehow relieved that the team leader is _back_. Weizhou isn’t there when he arrives because Yifan came earlier than usual. The taller male thinks that the younger is probably in the break room to make coffee for himself. Right when he opens the door to his office, the team leader’s face falls after seeing two piles of folders waiting for him on his desk.

“Boss, you’re here,” Yifan hears Weizhou’s surprised voice from behind him, the younger giving his morning greetings as he walks to his own desk. The team leader turns around with a bewildered expression on his face before pointing towards his desk where the papers sit, still untouched. He sees his secretary’s expression change into an apologetic one, his fingers tightening around the handle of his mug.

“I think it would be better if you talk to the President himself,” Weizhou worries his bottom lip, preparing himself for an earful if the answer he supplied is not to the elder’s liking. He only continues when the team leader doesn’t say anything, “He told me you should see him once you arrive so,” the secretary smiles awkwardly as he waits for the taller male’s reply.

“Fine,” Yifan grumbles, rolling his eyes before turning back to finally enter his office, knowing he can’t do anything since he answers directly to the President. He walks towards his desk while eyeing the stacked documents, heaving a sigh as he places a heavy hand on top of one of the folders. He decides to open the folder, eyes scanning the contents of the paper on top. The team leader resigns himself to reading through the documents later when he has received orders from the President. The tall male fixes himself coffee because he knows his brain needs the caffeine to be able to do his best in his job. Once he has drained his mug, he makes sure he looks presentable before leaving his office again, bringing the folder that’s on top of the pile. He takes the elevator to get to the President’s office, thinking about how many days he needs to plough through the pile of folders left on his desk. When he enters the wide room, his boss welcomes him with a warm smile, his insides twisting because he knows the job the President is giving him will be a huge one basing it only on the stretch of his lips. He stays in the room for over an hour, taking note of what his boss wants out of the job he’s giving him. Yifan sighs when he returns to his office, checking the time to see how much he has left before picking up the Canadian executives to send them off to the airport in behalf of the President.

The tall male goes through each document meticulously, reading them twice before moving on to the next folder so he can put each important detail into memory. Everybody in the office knows how much of a workaholic the team leader is, burying himself in mounds of documents so much that he goes through the day without eating, the lights in his office the last one standing as the tenants of the cubicles on his floor leave one by one for home. Nobody has ever tried to bother Yifan whenever he’s working, Zitao would usually come by every now and then to buy the elder food, knowing he hasn’t had his lunch or dinner but the head of the marketing department is also busy for the day. Weizhou takes it upon himself to buy food for his boss, entering the team leader’s office without bothering to knock because he knows Yifan will not notice even if he does so.

“Boss,” the secretary waits until Yifan lifts his head to acknowledge him, “I brought you food,” he places the paper bag of takeout onto the coffee table, the other only nodding and quickly returning to his readings. He looks at the clock placed above the door before informing the team leader, “Also, you’ll have to leave in thirty minutes to pick them up.” This catches Yifan’s attention, his eyes darting to the clock which widen when he sees that his secretary is right. Right on cue the team leader’s stomach gurgles, Weizhou quickly pointing to the food waiting for him with a small smile before seeing himself out of the room.

Yifan almost regrets having to leave when he sees that he’s only been able to finish three-fourths of the documents from the first pile that he’s supposed to read. With a heavy heart he closes the door and tells Weizhou he can leave the office when the clock strikes five, that there’s no need to wait for him to return.

“You’re still coming back here?” Weizhou asks, knowing it will probably take four hours for his boss to return and by then it will be seven o’clock already.

“I still have a lot to finish,” Yifan responds before walking away, leaving Weizhou in awe at how stupidly hard working his boss is.

 

On their way to the airport, Steve, one of the Canadian executives, comments about Yifan’s quietness. The older man laughs when the team leader tells him he’s just been working on something the President has assigned to him, his crow’s feet showing as he leans back on his seat.

“You know Kris, I’m aware of how hardworking and how great you are at what you do,” he places a hand on the Chinese male’s shoulder who is seated on the front passenger seat of the sedan, “But sometimes you have to learn to reward yourself for how much you’ve done.”

“What did you even do today? You look so exhausted.” Steve elbows the man sitting beside him, lanky unlike his chubby figure, Jason, to support his statements. The other man agrees, pointing out how he looks skinnier than when they arrived in Beijing. When Yifan tells them about how much of the documents he has finished they are even more surprised.

“Well, no wonder,” Jason huffs out after shaking his head, unbelieving of how much reading the younger male has done in the few hours he’s been given, “Get a break, Kris. You need one.”

“That’s what I’m saying.” Steve nods, looking out as their car finally nears their destination, “Even if it’s just to eat out at a new restaurant or to shop,” the older male suggests. “You’re fashionable,” he says matter-of-factly, “I’m sure you’ll enjoy that.” Yifan stays quiet, only smiling in reply as they approach the entrance to the airport.

“I’m serious, Kris.” The chubby Canadian repeats, narrowing his eyes at the tall male, “Give yourself a little break, the papers aren’t going to disappear but your youth will.” He places his check-in baggage onto the weighing machine, his eyes piercing the young Chinese until he looks at him hard enough that the team leader nods. Steve smiles and continues, “Do something you love or watch something you think you like.”

The advice sits on Yifan’s shoulders even until he walks back to the car that will take him back to the heart of the city. When he slides back onto the passenger seat, the leather already cold from his absence, he looks at the driver and tells him, “Please take me to Liyuan Theater.”

 

~///~

 

Yifan arrives at the theater just in time for the start of the show. Fortunately the seat he had before is still available, thinking it is a prime spot to watch Yixing and for the actor to notice him from the stage. He can hear the orchestra already playing and when he enters the hall, he realizes that the actor’s words were right. It is not as packed as before, the tables having only a few settlers, their cups filled with tea. Yifan ducks, quietly walking to his designated seat and slumping on the chair, loosening his tie and finally breathing in as he relaxes. Just a few more seconds and he will be able to see Yixing again.

The tall male leans forward when the curtains are drawn open, Yixing standing close to a rock with his arms raised as if he’s imitating a cobra’s neck. Yifan watches as the actor’s face is riddled with sadness, the feeling carrying through his song, swaying his viewers into falling to the same depression as his. Even with his heartstrings being pulled to inhuman capacities, the tall male still sits and follows Yixing as the actor moves about on stage, his gestures of sorrow exaggerated but done tastefully as should be. Yifan wonders if the other can even see him from where he is with the glaring lights above him.

 

From the stage, Yixing feels eyes trailing his steps and his fluidity, but instead of feeling unnerved, he feels loved by the soft brown orbs following his every movement, adoring his graceful steps and the way his sleeves flow. Despite the lights above him he can make out Yifan’s expressions and he wants nothing but to erase the sad look on his face. From where he stands he hopes that Bai Suzhen’s eventual reconciliation with Xu Xian will be enough to paint a smile on the other male’s face, he’s been waiting to see him ever since he uttered his promise and to see him again only to cause him sorrow isn’t exactly how he wants their next meeting to start, hoping to see the tall male’s gummy and giving smile. He feels the taller male’s eyes on him for the whole thirty six minutes of the act, following the way his shoulders sag with exaggerated movements or whenever he fallsto the ground due to Bai Suzhen’s extreme depression. At the end of the performance, Yixing’s eyes can’t keep still, darting to where he knows Yifan is closely watching him even with the curtains coming to a close. The actor’s smile almost breaks his face when they give their final bow for the night, seeing Yifan standing out amongst the crowd of elderlies, clapping without tiring and mouthing words of praise whenever their eyes meet. He thanks the white powder covering his face because if not for it then the colour of his face would have overtaken the pink paint over his eyelids and he would have been unable to hide his embarrassment.

The actor rushes to the backstage, removing pieces of his clothing and his heavy headdress before handing them to Chen Wen’s awaiting hands. He dashes towards the toilet to wash off the makeup he had painted on his own face not mere hours ago, not watching until all the coloured water has drained down the sink, hurrying to be able to see Yifan before the other can leave. When he comes out with only his simple clothes on, Lu Han and Chen Wen are already waiting for him, the older of the two having passed today’s act to his Xiaoqing understudy because he has been feeling under the weather lately and didn’t want to strain himself.

“Let’s go, Prince Charming is waiting,” Chen Wen teases Yixing, opening the door of the dressing room so they can leave and push the White Snake actor towards the handsome tall male. When they step outside of the theater, some elderlies who are waiting there greet them for their performance. If not for Yixing’s kindness and gratitude for every person who is still paying adoration for their dying art, he would have just walked past the old men and women to cross the plaza to where Yifan is standing. The taller male has shrugged off his coat as it was during the whole performance if Yixing’s observation was correct. The tight shirt that he is wearing wraps around his biceps and triceps, his chest also looks hard even from afar because of the way the cloth is clinging to his pectorals. The actor almost salivates at how godly the other male’s facial features are, sharp with a bit of softness brought about by his eyes and his lips. He’s been looking at the taller male so much that he doesn’t notice the other moving towards him, awaken from his stupor by his friends who alerted him of Yifan’s arrival. The elderly group has long gone for their homes, leaving Yixing and Yifan with Lu Han and Chen Wen on the side who silently cheer for the other two.

“Hi,” Yifan greets first, hands wringing as he walks to stand closer to Yixing, the smaller male only remembering to greet back when one of his friends pokes his sides. “Sorry I don’t have flowers for you this time,” the tall male rubs the back of his head before continuing, “but I was thinking dinner would suffice for the lack of it?”

Yixing wants to scream Yes and tell the other that it is more than enough but he doesn’t want to come off as easy and decides to decline the taller male’s first attempt.

“It’s alright,” he smiles shyly, “you don’t have to take me to dinner either, it’s totally fine.” From beside them he can hear his friends calling him out for not eating yet and that a dinner offered by Mr. Nice Guy should never be turned down. He shoots them a glare even though he knows it never works on them, the action only urging them to keeping egging him. The truth is, deep inside he knows that that’s what he was hoping they would do so he looks like he was forced to accept the dinner.

“Just go Yixing,” Lu Han pushes him towards Yifan, the younger actor stumbling and almost falling into the taller male’s chest but his feet are fast at catching him and the other just holds his wrists to keep him up. Yifan quickly releases the smaller male though when he realizes what he’s doing, apologizing for the sudden physical contact but Yixing just waves it off, thanking him instead for his help. Once they’ve gone past the awkward apologizing and thanking part, and they are already sure that their cheeks aren’t burning anymore, they look around to see that the actor’s friends have left them. Yixing worries his bottom lip as he meets Yifan’s gaze with an apologetic look in his eyes.

When the pregnant silence becomes too much, Yixing sways on the heels of his feet as he looks around to try to find if his friends are spying on them and Yifan finally asks “So I guess we’re having dinner?”

 

~///~

 

They find themselves in one of Yixing and his co-actors’ favorite restaurant with a steaming hot pot in front of them soon after taking a five minute walk from the theater.

The place smells strongly of the stock they use, the scent mixing with the many ingredients and cuts they serve to the customers and Yifan is already sure that it will stick to his clothes even without him sweating off what he will be eating. But it doesn’t completely bother him, not when Yixing is sitting in front of him, casually flipping through the menu and ordering two cans of beer for them. No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t tear his eyes away from the other, watching intently to see how different actor Yixing is from ordinary Yixing–not that the tall male thinks the man in front of him _is_ ordinary. He wonders how similar the other will be from his stage persona and if he can even find any remnants of that white-robed character he saw on stage to the smaller male who’s wearing a plain white tee with a pair of skinny jeans.

Yixing can feel the taller male’s gaze on him as he sips on the tea they were given, this one seems to be inspecting him unlike the way the other looked at him while he was on stage. He pours Yifan some tea as well, unsure of what to say so their table can join the hubbub buzzing in the eatery. The tall male thanks him but doesn’t sip his tea, keeping his hand around the porcelain ware to warm his fingers and palm. With the fluorescent lights he has a better view of the other’s face, the shadows that play on his chiseled features only accentuating them even more, making Yixing wonder how it is possible for someone to be as handsome as Yifan. The actor’s eyes start at the base of the other’s neck, his tie already removed with the top two buttons of his shirt undone, his prominent adam’s apple bobs teasingly whenever he gulps and Yixing can’t suppress the urge to do the same, his eyes travelling higher to the other’s lips. He tries not to stay too long there, restraining himself from touching them right then and there, moving up to the other’s nose, the line straight and intimidating. Then his brown orbs scan higher features, observing the way the light makes Yifan’s eyes constrict and dilate. Then he looks away, the eyes he’s been studying turning his way and catching him openly ogling. He hides his face behind his tea cup, thanking his luck that their food arrives just in time to save him.

They send shy smiles to each other’s direction whenever their chopsticks hit the other’s as they place their choice of noodle, vegetables and lamb meat into the broth. The smell and sight of their food cooking in front of them makes them salivate, licking their lips as they check their food every now and then. Yixing focuses on his meat, not wanting it to be well done, but even so he can still feel Yifan’s eyes darting towards him every so often. He tries his best not to smile and pretend that he is not affected by the other’s gaze, looking up at random and laughing internally at how wide the taller male’s eyes go when he does it.

“So Yixing, acting huh?” Yifan starts, his voice a bit shaky, thinking he should be the one to open the conversation because he is sure the other won’t since Yixing is looking like he’s content with just eating his food and not sharing a word or two. The tall male surprises himself by doing so because even at the office, he rarely does the talking in friendly conversations, he barely has any of those kind of exchanges with his officemates since he’s always either too busy to interact with them or they’re too afraid to approach him. The team leader actually likes it that people don’t bother to disturb his peace but with Yixing, it’s different. He wants to hear his voice, to know his stories and get to dig deep to see the real him behind his painted mask.

“Yes, acting,” the other smiles after his response, eating cleaner and quieter compared to Yifan’s sloppy and loud slurps, “what about it?” He places his chopsticks down before patting down the corner of his lips, making sure he removes the grease before taking a gulp of his beer.

“How did you start?” Yifan also takes a swig of his drink, eyeing the other as he waits for him to answer, hoping his gaze isn’t too intense to scare the actor but only to encourage him. With how Yixing is smiling though, he doubts his stare made the smaller male want to run away like the other people who he looks at the same way.

“I started young,” Yixing finally answers, eyes seemingly far away as he remembers the beginning of his opera journey. After a beat of silence he continues, “My grandfather was an opera actor too,” his smile becomes wider as thoughts of his late grandfather flood his mind again, “and since I spent most of my childhood with my grandparents, I would always be in teahouses watching opera with them or at grandpa’s classes, where I used to sit in the back and practice together with his students.” The actor lifts a corner of his lips before snatching a few vegetables from the hot broth, “He told me I had the makings and the enthusiasm for the trade so he opened the idea of enrolling me to an academy at the age of six but my parents,” the smile on his face falls, the meat he holds in between his chopsticks plopping back down to the pot, “they didn’t really like it.” A sad smile takes place on his lips, his chopsticks stirring the noodles idly as he swims in his thoughts.

Yifan doesn’t like the way the other’s lips curve without the happiness they usually are painted with, scolding himself internally for possibly opening old wounds. However, he sees the actor’s mouth reveal teeth and a wider smile, before saying, “Don’t worry, they’ve accepted it years ago that this is really where my heart lies. In fancy robes and heavy makeups.” His smile is brighter now, his eyes always having the twinkle it has whenever he talks about his art.

“You said you started young,” Yifan comments after roughly a minute of them just smiling at each other, “how long have you been doing this?”

Yixing hums as if thinking, while he chews on his food, pushing it down with his drink before answering, “Twenty years, including my training.” Yifan is obviously shocked by the number, even leaning back and shaking his head at the information he’s been given. The other looks too young to have been in the industry for twenty years already, the taller male thinks the actor should have grey hairs by now with that much experience.

“If you started in the academy when you were six,” Yifan does some mental math and continues, “then you’re twenty-six now?” Yixing almost chokes on his food, the taller male quickly thrusts the other’s beer into the actor’s hand, his other one reaching to helpfully pat the smaller’s back.

“So that’s where you were going with this?” Yixing playfully asks, eyebrows furrowing as he watches the other shake his head, raining apologies and explaining himself. Then the actor is laughing, waving his hand to indicate that there’s no need to say sorry, “It’s okay but you could have just asked me,” smiling he adds, “But yes, I’m turning twenty six this year.”

“Huh,” Yifan huffs and leans back to let the information sink in, “I knew you were young but I swear you can be so much younger than just twenty five.” He looks at the other, Yixing doesn’t have the most perfect skin, seeing as he puts so many layers of makeup on it every single day but he has a youthful glow in him that the taller male thinks will still be there even as the actor reaches his hundredth birthday.

“Are you going to tell me your age?” Yixing slightly raises an eyebrow but doesn’t push the taller male with provoking words, his voice almost drowning in the noise inside the restaurant, “You know, since you already know mine?”

“Oh, of course, I’m turning twenty seven this year,” then Yifan leans forward so the other can hear him even with noise around them, “And I know, I look older than that.”

“No, you don’t,” the younger quickly dismisses his assumptions, “I think your looks are proportionate to your age,” Yixing nods slowly, his eyes falling to his companion’s glistening lips, biting his own before looking away.

“How about you?” The actor pushes the words out of his mouth, “You know so much about me already but all I know about you is you’re Wu Yifan, almost 27, who has found an unbelievable liking in Peking Opera.” After hearing the younger’s last words, the taller male is tempted to correct him and just say, “I’m coming for you, not the play itself,” but he also can’t deny that he does find himself enjoying the entirety of the show and not just Yixing, so he guesses the actor might be right about that description.

“What do you want to know?” To this, Yixing hums and moves with exaggeration as he places his chin on his hand. He eyes the taller male, before answering, “Well, let’s start simple, what does Mr. Wu do for a living?” The plastic underneath his elbows squeak as he leans forward with his chin on his palms.

“I am the Team Leader of the Liaisons Department of the company I work for,” Yifan supplies after swallowing the piece of lamb meat he’s been meaning to eat.

The actor hums again, seemingly satisfied with the elder’s answer before saying, “Seems like an important job,” he removes one hand from under his chin to put emphasis on his next words with its help, “Team Leader.” The taller male shrugs, not wanting to make a big deal out of it, despite his job being really important as he not only coordinates the people working for their company but he’s also the one sent out to other brands whenever there are talks of a possible collaboration.

“Tell me more,” Yixing enthusiastically urges him, “I rarely have friends who work in other fields,” at the mention of the word _friend_ , Yifan smiles, happy that the other is already considering him as one despite only meeting for the third time. So they get lost into the stories; about Yifan’s work, where he’s been and the company he works for. Soon they realize that only them and another group of friends at a table on their far right are left in the restaurant, the words they shared too interesting for them to even consider standing from their chairs but they eventually ask for their bill.

“You sound like you love your job too.” Yixing comments while they’re waiting for the server to return with the chit, his eyes smiling with his lips. Yifan wants to agree with him, having started out with his company as an intern, then being offered a position afterwards for his excellent performance. With how he presented the joys of his job, he does sound like he wouldn’t want to work in another field. But the stress he has to overcome with it is another story that he thinks is nothing compared to what Yixing had to go through as a child. He just nods to answer the younger, seeing the server walking towards them. His hand lands on the small tray she laid down on their table. The actor is quick, his hand falling over the elder’s, holding it with a firm grasp as he says, “We’ll share.”

“No,” Yifan says sternly, hoping his business voice will throw the younger off into thinking he can force the other to share the payment. But to his dismay, Yixing just lifts a corner of his lips and shakes his head.

“I offered to take you to dinner,” the taller male tries to pull the tray towards him but the younger is unbelievably strong, his hand unable to move from where they have been ever since he placed it over the metallic accessory.

“And I said yes,” Yixing tilts his head to one side as he keeps the elder’s hand where they are, “which means I have to pay.” It doesn’t make sense to Yifan and for as long as the younger’s hand is over his, then the warmth will stay for as long as well. He wants to keep it there and pretend that they are holding hands but the server who’s been waiting for them is already losing her patience. She startles the two men when she alerts them: “We’re already past closing, are you paying or not?” Yifan finally gives up and allows the younger to throw in a couple of bills as well to cover their receipt.

As they finally walk out of the restaurant, Yixing clicks his tongue, looking at his watch to see that it’s already close to twelve midnight, the last trains having passed by roughly around thirty minutes ago.

“What’s the matter?” Yifan reads the actor’s distress, his brows creasing as he bends down a bit so they can hear each other over the noise on the streets.

“Er, I missed the last train,” the actor worries his bottom lip, having already used the money he could have paid a cab with. The elder sees the concern in the other’s face, thinking of a solution for him and then it clicks, his eyes spotting an empty cab nearby.

“We can go to my office, it’s just near,” Yixing tilts his head to the side, not seeing how this is supposed to help in bringing him home, “I left my car there.” The younger wants to nod and just go with Yifan but he also doesn’t want to bother him as he thinks he’s done enough of that for the day. When he declines, the taller male places a hand on his elbow, guiding him to the taxi, “I insist.” The actor’s brain tells him he should not enter the cab but his body doesn’t follow his commands, allowing his instincts to take over and just go with the flow. Yifan smiles at him after telling the driver where to take them, the other’s office building just a twenty minute drive from the theater. Yixing feels bad when he sees the elder pay for the cab but Yifan just tells him, “You can just pay me next time.” His heart flutters at the thought of seeing the other for another time, his skin tingling where Yifan touched him as he uttered his reassuring words.

Yixing waits for Yifan by the entrance of the business tower as the elder fetches his car. Standing in front of the building where the taller male works at makes him feel small, the other seemingly of more importance than himself. But then he remembers the excitement in the elder’s eyes whenever he listens to Yixing talk about his performance, never once making him feel the difference between them. Too deep in his thoughts, he doesn’t notice when the other has already arrived, his car being the latest in the market. Yixing hesitantly slides to the passenger seat, shyly murmuring where he lives, the taller male not flinching as he types the Dongcheng district address into the GPS.

The ride to Yixing’s place is quiet, the silence comfortable and only broken by the sounds of the honking of horns from the outside and the songs playing through the radio. Yifan is dead beat and he’s sure the actor is too so he doesn’t force any more words from him, hoping the things he doesn’t get to hear about tonight will be reserved for next time. He looks towards Yixing from time to time to check on him, the younger smiling at him whenever their eyes meet, the exhaustion making his eyes blink with sleep. The elder tries to hurry as much as he can, both for him and Yixing. Once they arrive at the younger’s place, Yixing rubs his eyes but the smile on his face doesn’t fade. Yifan thinks he can’t get any cuter but then the younger widens his eyes, fighting against the sleep weighing his eyelids down before they form crescents as he smiles, “Thank you. I owe you a lot.”

“You owe me nothing,” Yifan corrects him, mirroring the smile on the younger’s lips as he feels the exhaustion creeping up on him as well.

“Then I guess I don’t have to see you next time?” Yixing giggles behind his hand when he sees the taller male’s eyes turn as big as saucers, their size only going back to normal when he retracts the question. He wishes the elder safety before opening the door, repeating himself once he’s stepped out of the car, “Thank you again.”

“Ah, wait, Yixing,” Yifan calls out to the other before he can even close the door, he pats his pockets to find his smartphone, presenting the device to Yixing who’s poking his head through the opening, “Can I have your number?” Yixing’s fingers brush against his hand when the younger reaches for his phone, the taller male does the same towards the actor when he retrieves the device, hoping the younger feels the same as he did, his breath hitching and his heartbeat skipping. He looks up after saving the actor’s number, sorry that he had to make Yixing wait. Yifan nods and thanks the other for it, hiding his excitement from acquiring the smaller male’s digits. Before he can completely call it a night and let the younger go, he greets him one last time, hoping his smile is something Yixing will sleep with, “Good night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Click to watch [The Legend of the White Snake: Broken Bridge Act](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwUVNwv2jRM)


	3. Act III: Strokes of Perfection

The smile on Yifan’s face cannot be erased even as Monday comes, a day he usually dreads because it is the start of another work cycle. Despite that his high spirits don’t falter and when he walks in to work, people almost fall from their seats when they hear him laugh for the first time. Weizhou himself cannot understand the sudden change in behavior again, the shift in mood from the week before still a mystery to him. He stills himself like before, making sure he doesn’t get too carried away and be too assured by the good mood, knowing full well how quickly it can change. But when the team leader comes out at lunch time, offering to buy food for him, the younger wonders about the cause for his boss’ demeanor. All he notices that’s changed is how glued the elder is to his phone, something that he doesn’t see the team leader do a lot when he is in the middle of work. Even in between scoops of his food however, Yifan smiles at the gold mobile device in his hand, sometimes chuckling to himself whenever he reads a message, hurriedly typing his reply afterwards. The younger doesn’t have the courage to ask him about it though, dutifully finishing his food with a thank you to his boss for it. Yifan just waves it off, saying, “I owe it to you that my work isn’t all over the place.” Weizhou doesn’t want to accept the compliment but his boss is already back to typing on his phone to even try for a retort.

Ever since Yifan managed to get Yixing’s number, their exchanges have been going back and forth, from the simplest of topics to deeper ones, their messages only cut by sleep and other necessary events. The younger scolds him when he knows Yifan should be working, the actor not replying during hours of work so as not to distract him and also to either rest or get some practice in for a performance despite having perfected it throughout the years.

Yifan is livelier at work, even greeting everyone good morning with a smile, a total one eighty shift from his former self. Weizhou still doesn’t allow himself to be too chummy with his boss, only smiling at the jokes the team leader tries to tell. The elder can understand his secretary’s way of reacting to his mood facelift, knowing how his intense gaze instills fear to a lot of people the first time he meets them; the same fear staying within them even as the years pass. The team leader is glad that he didn’t carry that murderous look on his face when he first met Yixing, because he is sure he wouldn’t be able to even come close to the actor if it had been so. But contrary to it, he’s been having good relations with the younger, exchanging messages like they’ve known each other for the longest time. Yifan’s so glad to have the connection that he feels bad for himself whenever he has to deprive himself of it, having to focus on the work piling up on his desk instead. Every time he has to leave his office building for home, he’s always tempted to give Yixing a call, knowing how hearing the other’s voice will immediately lift his spirits after a tiring day. However, he always decides against it, stopping his thumb from pressing the phone button beside the actor’s number, sighing heavily as he deflates into the driver’s seat. No matter how much he wants to and how many messages they’ve exchanged, Yifan is still unsure of where he stands with Yixing, if a call is already an acceptable means of talking between them. So he waits, patiently does so, for the opportunity to arrive.

What he’s been waiting for doesn’t come until three weeks later before he has to come in for an important meeting to finally seal the deal for the project the President has specifically assigned to him. His phone buzzes from the inside pocket of his jacket, cursing himself for forgetting to put the vibrate mode off. But he immediately takes it back when he sees who the message is from. _Yixing_. He grows more excited and curious when the notification tells him that the younger sent a photo, a first in their back and forth exchanges. When he opens it he sees a room which seems to be a living room, basing on the furnitures he can see, with boxes and luggages scattered around. Yifan furrows his brows in confusion then he receives another message from the actor and it all suddenly makes sense.

 **From: Yixing**  
_We moved today! :)_

Yixing has been sharing about moving to a different place, something that he’s been planning with Lu Han for some time now. Their pay has been fairly steady ever since they became professionals but with the unexpected attention their plays have been garnering lately, they received an increase, a rarity, and took the chance to put their plan into motion. The actor has told Yifan about him and Lu Han apartment hunting before going to practices and scheduled shows. Yixing also told him about the results of them, sometimes going into details about the apartments they saw that day. When the two are too exhausted, they just search for apartments online, choosing the ones they agree on before going to see them when they’ve had enough rest.

Despite knowing all of that, the photo still comes as a surprise as the younger never shared anything about having come to a final decision on which apartment they will choose. But the more rational side of Yifan tells him that maybe he and Yixing are not yet on that level of confidence for him to know every single decision the younger makes. Instead of dwelling on it, he sends the actor a congratulatory message, adding a subtle, “You should have told me so I could’ve helped you with the move,” at the end of the text.

When he receives the younger’s reply, he has to look up first to make sure that he hasn’t been called into the conference room yet.

 **From: Yixing**  
_I can carry my own stuff, thank you. ;p Besides, aren’t you a busy man?_

Before Yifan can reply to the previous text, the actor sends another one.

 **From: Yixing**  
_Wait, didn’t you say you have an important meeting today?? Are you not doing your job, Mr. Wu? And here I thought you were the perfectionist type when it comes to your work @-@_

Instead of responding a lengthy text to the other, Yifan just stealthily takes a photo of where he is, making sure Yixing can see the logo of the company. He sends the picture with no comment added to it, hoping the younger will get the idea that he is being a good citizen and is doing his job.

 **From: Yixing**  
_Are you playing hooky?_

Yifan almost snorts at the scrutinizing emoji Yixing placed at the end of his message, shaking his head as he types in a reply.

 **To: Yixing**  
_No, fyi I’m just waiting for my scheduled appointment with the president._

 **From: Yixing**  
_Well good luck! Maybe we can have a double celebration when you come out of that conference room alive later. ;p_

The message draws a wide smile on Yifan’s lips, the little nervousness he felt disappearing at the prospect of celebrating the success of his project with Yixing. He types a quick message, and right when he hits the send button, the CEO’s secretary comes out to call him in. Gathering his things, he looks at his messages with Yixing one last time, smiling at their last exchange before pocketing the mobile device.

 **To: Yixing**  
_I deserve some good Hunanese if I succeed today._

 **From: Yixing**  
_You are speaking to an expert. ;) It’s decided then! Go get them tiger!_

 

~///~

 

After successfully retrieving Yixing’s new address, Yifan drives through the busy streets to get to the younger’s location, stopping by a cake shop so as not to come empty-handed which is very rude in his opinion. His mood gets even better than it already is as his distance from the actor becomes shorter, his face instantly lighting up when he sees the building he’s looking for. He finds a fairly safe parking space, making sure his hair is still perfectly combed and his clothes neat and presentable before finally leaving the luxury vehicle. He finds renewed vigor with every step he takes closer to Yixing’s building, his heart thumping with excitement as he rides the elevator to where the actor is, his recharging session already starting even without his source of energy yet.

Yifan stands tall before pushing the button for the door bell, his heart skipping a beat when the door finally opens to reveal Yixing wearing an apron and a headband that pulls his hair back to show his adorable face.

“Hey, you’re here,” the actor beams, excited to find the elder wearing a simple shirt and skinny jeans, a new side to him as he always sees the taller male in his suits. Yixing opens the door wide to let the other in, his fingers brushing against Yifan’s hand when he takes the box of cake while telling the elder that he didn’t have to bring anything.

“Sorry if it’s still quite messy,” Yixing starts gathering some of the papers and garbage they have left behind during their move while ushering the taller male to the receiving area, “we haven’t been able to sort out some of our things.”

“You should have told me,” Yifan also picks up some small boxes, stacking them over bigger ones, not minding the younger’s protests and rejection of his help, “I could have helped you guys.”

“We don’t really have much,” Yixing shakes his head, placing the trash he has collected in the rubbish, “and most of these are Lu Han’s.” As if it stands as proof, almost all of the boxes Yifan can see have the other actor’s name on them, with only a few smaller ones with Yixing’s name. “I’ll return to what I’m cooking so we can eat already,” the younger informs him after telling him to feel at home and once again apologizing for the mess, “I bet you’re starving.”

Jokingly Yifan replies, “I didn’t eat breakfast for this.” It manages to crack a smile on the younger’s face who travels back to the kitchen, the space only separated to the rest of the apartment by a counter. The elder doesn’t have the time to muse about his surroundings, his eyes instantly falling to the actor’s back. He watches as the younger moves about in the small space, lifting covers and scooping soup to his mouth, nodding his head lightly and humming when he is satisfied with how it tastes. Then there’s a flurry of movements where Yixing moves from the kitchen then to the dining table and back until the actor removes his apron and beckons Yifan to sit on one of the chairs.

Yixing takes the seat in front of Yifan’s, watching closely as the elder tries out the food he cooked. He’s only ever had to cook for himself and he knows that what might be good to his taste buds can’t always be good to others. The actor bites his bottom lip as he waits for the taller male’s verdict, eyes glued to the elder’s face so as not to miss the tiniest hint of disapproval from the other. Yifan’s eyes widen and the younger furrows his eyebrows to the unreadable reaction.

“This is good,” the elder finally expounds, scooping another into his mouth, “really good. A bit spicy,” he pauses as he chews on his food, “but really good.”

Yixing preens, obviously satisfied with the compliment as he finally digs into his own food. He turns to the other every now and then to check that he’s really enjoying his food and didn’t say his earlier praises just to make the younger happy. They pass their lunch with stories about work, Yixing sharing to Yifan about Lu Han’s latest antics that almost got him cut from their latest production while the elder talks about the next step to their collaboration. It takes them quite some time to finish their food, their need to talk being more important than the state of their stomachs.

When Yifan offers to help in washing the dishes, Yixing sends him a disapproving look, banishing the elder from the kitchen to stay in the receiving area while the younger fixes their used utensils. The taller male uses that opportunity to look around the actor’s new place. Last time, when Yixing was still renting a room in a Hutong’s courtyard house in Dongcheng district, Yifan wasn’t able to visit the other’s place to see how the actor lives by himself. He first inspects the frames and other trinkets on the shelf the two actors have placed in the living room, the middle of it used mainly for the television. It seems that the two residents share the furniture, the first half of it filled with Lu Han’s face while the other is Yixing’s. Yifan quickly moves to the younger’s side, he makes sure not to skip any photo, wanting to get a dose of everything that the actor allows him to see. In one of the shelves, he sees a three-set frame where Yixing has placed photos of himself while he was in Seoul, the elder guessing that these could be pictures from when the younger tried his luck in the Korean entertainment industry. He remembers the actor sharing to him stories of his stay in the foreign country, the younger telling him he gave up only after five months because he had missed the stage and performing Jingju.

In the middle of inspecting a closeup photo of a younger Yixing wearing a pink outfit, he hears a bit of rustling on his side. When he turns he sees the younger carrying some boxes to his room and without offering help with his words, Yifan just grabs one of the bigger boxes that has the actor’s name.

“So this is your room,” Yifan says, startling the younger a bit who allows him to enter the small space to help him move some of the boxes he’s left out in the receiving area.

“Yeah, it’s just enough for me,” the actor smiles as he looks around the room, finally somewhere he can live comfortably. He moves some of the boxes so they can sit on the bed but Yifan seems to be distracted by some of the things the younger has already removed from their cases.

Yifan notices the small box on the vanity, looking toward the actor to ask permission if he can touch it. The younger smiles and walks towards him, the taller male having to press himself against the younger’s cabinet so that they wouldn’t bump into each other. But even when he does so, the actor’s shoulder still grazes his chest, making him hold his breath, letting it out with a shudder when the younger sits down on the chair in front of the mirror. Yixing himself opens the box with delicate hands, the wood looking old for its time. When the elder peeks into it, he sees what undeniably is a makeup kit.

“The box was my grandfather’s when he was still working as an opera actor.” Yixing follows the intricately carved flowers on the front of the box. With a smile he adds, “Grandmother was a huge fan of his and made this for him.”

“That’s cute,” Yifan comments to which the younger just smiles. Out of curiosity, the taller male asks, “Is this the same one you use for your performances?”

The actor’s eyes widen a little bit but he nods, the question that he asks surprising even himself, “You want to see how I apply it?” Yifan isn’t exactly sure if he does but even before he can consciously decide on it, his head is already nodding. Without further words, Yixing moves to place all of his materials onto the table, ready for him to use. He retrieves a black band and slips it over his head before pushing it back so that no hair can be found on his face.

Yifan watches as the actor skillfully transforms into his character. The smaller male uses the lightest shade of liquid foundation, covering his whole face with ample amount. The elder’s eyes leave Yixing’s face only to follow the younger’s hand, moving to retrieve a brush from his tools. His gaze traces the way the other’s fingers wrap around the wood before dipping its bristles into the pink paint. The elder’s eyes follow the way the actor expertly covers his eyelids and its surroundings, the pink drawing more attention towards the areas that he has coloured with it. Yixing then takes the loose powder, pushing the puff until it is completely covered before he slaps it onto his whole face, the particles of the excess white powder floating in the air around him, making the elder wonder how the actor is not sneezing with that much powder. The smaller male then opens a cylindrical container that has black paint in it, taking a different brush before dipping it in quickly. The younger allows the ink to bleed from its tips before it makes contact with his skin. He first makes a line over his covered eyebrows, the lines higher and thicker than the original one. Yifan looks on with awe when the younger lines his lids next with kohl, no tears coming out of his eyes and no blinking happening. Yixing just follows the curve of his eyes with the brush, since he’s already used to it after doing it every day for almost twenty years, blinking only once he’s done. The last is the red lipstick. Yixing takes the thinnest brush in his arsenal and dips it into the red paint before placing it on his lips, not following the curve to make it a little bit thinner than his own. Yifan cannot take his eyes off of the actor’s lips as the crimson colour adds luster and life to Yixing’s foundation and the powder covered parts of his face. The actor looks at himself in the mirror and once he’s satisfied with his art, he faces the elder who’s been standing beside him for the duration of it all. When he doesn’t get a verbal reaction, just a little widening of the taller male’s eyes, Yixing sings a line from The Legend of the White Snake, surprising Yifan as his shrill voice echoes within the small room to grace the taller male with a special impromptu performance.

After his little transformation from Yixing to Bai Suzhen, the actor tilts his head to the side, curious as to what the elder has to say after seeing him change into somebody else with the help of a few swipes and pats of colourful materials. “So?” He asks, eyes curious and a little worried that the other will now avoid him for what he has done. What comes out of Yifan’s lips however, makes him thank the layers of makeup on his face, if not for them it would be obvious that he is blushing.

“Beautiful.”

 

~///~

 

Sunday is usually allotted for Yifan’s rest, choosing to spend the day in bed, mostly asleep if not reading a book. But the tall male decides that he should do some watching. He recently found out about the academy that Yixing went to and, using his office wifi, he discovered that the academy uploads videos of their students. Thankfully, when he searched the younger’s name, it came back with two videos and some information about the actor regarding his professional work. Not wanting to be distracted at the office, as he knows he’ll be too engrossed with watching Yixing instead of doing his work, the team leader decided, against his wants, to push looking into the younger’s videos on his free day.

The tall male fixes himself some tea, feeling the need to have the beverage despite not drinking it while watching. He places his mug on the table beside the couch, the aroma filling the space as he connects his laptop to the television. He clicks on the first video with the title _“The Wandering Dragon Toys with the Phoenix”,_ with no background knowledge about the play, only that Yixing is going to play the character of the female lead, Li Fengjie. The taller male hurries back to the couch once he presses play, not wanting to miss any second of the almost hour long video. He stretches his legs as the opening credits start rolling, relaxing on his seat when the play finally starts. The first to come into the picture is Yixing’s counterpart who plays Emperor Zhengde, his steps accompanied by the gong, his face looking comical with his long and thin strand beard that hangs above his upper lip. Yifan watches with little interest as the character moves around the stage that only has a table and a chair as props. He sips at his tea as the Emperor talks with his voice increasing in volume at times to surprise Yifan, his hands moving, waving his closed fan as he tells his story. The _jinghu_ accompanies the actor as he stands up to sing, expertly riding along the ups and downs of the song and its repeated and lengthened notes. After the actor returns to his seat and hits the wooden clapper against the table, a shrill voice sings back in reply to the call, the sound like the siren of an ambulance. Yifan places his cup back down, leaning forward as he knows that voice well by now. _Yixing._

Then from the right side of the stage, Yixing comes in with speedy steps. Yifan smiles at the sight of the younger, his slender figure in pink and red, the actor wearing pants this time instead of a robe, a towel of some sort hanging on his left shoulder. His headdress is as elaborate as the one he’s wearing for his current role, the silver accentuated by red band and gems and by light blue flower accessories by the younger’s left ear. On either side of his head and on his back, long strands of wig emerge from his bundled hair. It is a totally different look from what Yifan is used to seeing when he watches Yixing play Bai Suzhen.

Just as before, Yifan’s eyes are glued to the younger, tracing his outline and trying to see the other comparisons this character has with his role in the current production he is taking part in. His hand movements draw the elder’s attention, hypnotized by the grace and how just a simple wave and delicate movement of his fingers accentuate what he is singing about. Compared to Bai Suzhen, Li Fengjie moves in a way that Yifan can only describe as flirty, swaying her hips and acting surprised when she first sees the Emperor, proving it so when Yixing’s character talks about the man, who she still doesn’t know is the Emperor disguised as a soldier. Without the water sleeves as Bai Suzhen’s clothes have, the younger’s hand movements are more prominent, something obviously done to draw the viewers’ eyes to them.

The elder is impressed at how different this role is to Bai Suzhen’s, but he’s even more impressed that Yixing plays both characters so well that Yifan wonders if even the younger has such sides for him to be able to portray them that great. Music plays as Yixing walks around the stage, the elder’s eyes popping when he sees how the character _accidentally_ drops her towel in front of the Emperor. Yixing’s hand movements and the general motion of his body whenever he interacts with the other character has the tall male stiffening in his seat, hands balled in fists as the Emperor reacts positively to it, continuously _toying_ with Yixing’s character. When Li Fengjie parades after successfully retrieving her towel, Yifan questions whether that person and the Yixing he knows are truly one and the same. Once the younger is off the stage, the Emperor sings and the lyrics resonate with Yifan when he first saw Yixing in that opera house.

_“What a flower to blossom forth deep in these mountains. A great beauty appears in this humble village.”_

Yixing quickly reappears on stage when his character is called back out by the Emperor, correcting him when he calls her a barkeeper, asking him to call her a bar-mistress instead. When the Emperor inquires of her name, Li Fengjie turns shy and tells him she doesn’t have one. Yixing’s character explains she doesn’t want the _soldier_ to use her name and only when the other promised not to use it does she give in to the male’s request. She playfully scolds the Emperor into returning her name because he promised not to use it, the other quickly changing the topic by promising not to use it again and moving on to ordering wine. Yixing moves from one side to the other in front of the table as he explains each class of alcohol they have, moving in front to talk to the audience about the soldier asking for the first class wine. The Emperor is impressed by her wit, asking for money before he can even have a drop of the beverage, and the soldier starts singing as Yixing moves about on the stage with a skip in his steps. When the soldier retrieves a ball of silver from his sleeves, he beckons for the other to take it from him. But then Li Fengjie asks for him to place it on the table, the Emperor retorting that if he does set it on the table he’s afraid that he will brush against the lady’s waist, which he shows by touching Yixing’s waist with his closed fan. The Emperor tells her that he has a heartache as an alibi for grazing her waist, but he still quickly follows when she asks for him to set the silver ingot on the table once more. The next scene has Yifan clenching his fists once more.

When Yixing’s character comes closer to finally take the payment for the wine, the other character blocks it with his fan. To answer Li Fengjie’s question as to what he is doing, the Emperor suggestively answers while scanning her figure from head to toe, “I am just afraid the young lady won’t _give it up_.” But the feeling is quickly shaken as Yixing walks away to address the audience again, telling them that the soldier isn’t so reputable at all and letting them in on the plans of tricking the other. Li Fengjie successfully pulls a smile from Yifan when her trick of showing the soldier an old painting works, his attention drawn somewhere else to allow her to get the silver she wanted. She calls his attention again, only for the soldier to see her already holding the silver ingot. They proceed to sing as they converse, the weird feeling Yifan’s been having slowly dying down. However he should have known that it will come back just as quickly, bubbling up when the Emperor tells Fengjie that he would rather see the young lady’s room instead of the guest room. Yixing uses the yellow cloth he has in his hand to show his character’s disagreement with the soldier’s idea, telling him once more that their destination is the guest room. They go around the inn, the Emperor asking details about each room, Yixing rushing to move when Fengjie’s room is next, running back to block the imaginary door when the soldier says he wants to see it; Yixing’s character tells him that men and women should keep themselves apart, even creating an invisible line between them to support these words. Yifan laughs a little when he sees Fengjie lean back as she offers the candle to the soldier, pushing the Emperor inside the room when he moves too slow and closing the door once he’s in. But Fengjie later describes the soldier as an amorous man, making sure no one sees her when she puts a thumbs up, showing her quiet approval of the other’s advances. After seeing Fengjie fix the table with the wine the other ordered, Yifan chuckles at the face Yixing makes as a reaction to the taste of the wine, falling back with laughter when the character pours back the remaining alcohol into the container, enjoying the younger’s singing afterwards.

Yifan chokes on his tea when Yixing sings, _“When I ask him to go in, he doesn’t go in. If I ask him to come out, he doesn’t come out either,”_ suggestively talking about the Emperor who isn’t coming out after being called many times to have his wine.

Fengjie plays offended when she hears the soldier talk about nothing but the room, asking if she is not enough to look at and proceeding to make the other look at her once more so the Emperor praises her with words of excellence for her figure and beauty. After playfully hitting the soldier, Fengjie runs away with a giggle. Yifan keeps the sound in his memory, curious if he will ever hear that sound come from Yixing himself without the layers of makeup, exaggerated movements and the expensive garments.

Yifan watches the rest of the play with tightly closed lips, unbelieving of the feelings he’s having for a fictional character and the person playing it because of the proximity and the playfulness the man on stage is allowed to have with Yixing. He grits his teeth when the Emperor cleverly finds a way to hold hands with Fengjie, wanting to be the one to firmly grasp the younger’s delicate wrists. How Yifan wishes that Yixing’s words as Fengjie are directed towards him and not the man who plays Emperor Zhengde, _“Your heart is more dangerous than any blade.”_

When the revelation is all done and Fengjie asks the Emperor to where he is going, Yifan can imagine himself in the place of the male lead, swaying at the actions that Yixing’s character is showing him. This does nothing but fuel his unfounded jealousy for the younger’s partner, fingers closing into fists when the Emperor sings, _“The wandering dragon shall sleep in the phoenix’s nest,”_ his mind reeling at the implications of the lead’s words.

Even as the ending credits roll up and the television turns black, Yifan can still sense the feeling sitting uncomfortably at the bottom of his heart, wrenching his gut whenever his mind supplies him cuts of scenes from the play he has just seen. He wants to laugh at himself for not being able to separate the play from reality, for him to understand that Yixing was just acting with his partner on stage and that it might not follow through behind the curtains. Howbeit, he can’t help but have those feelings, especially when he sees the other act that way, something Yixing has not completely shown to him. Needless to say, the tall male does not dare watch the other video anymore, afraid that it will only cause him to have more hate for a person he only knows by name but has not met yet.

Yifan deflates in his seat, throwing his head back to rest on the couch. He closes his eyes tightly and gulps, hoping everything gets swallowed down with it. He doesn’t even get surprised anymore when he hears himself groan, “Yixing, what have you done to me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Click to watch [The Wandering Dragon Toys with The Phoenix](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdS_bhC4PMI)


	4. Act IV: The Monkey King

Zitao peeks into Yifan’s office with the brightest smile he can muster but it instantly falls into a long frown when he sees the elder’s face scrunched in an unpleasant manner. Without bothering to greet the team leader, the marketing director steps into the room, closing the door behind him before leaning against it. It doesn’t surprise him anymore that Yifan doesn’t even flinch at the sound he created; the younger is sure that the building could be on fire or a massive earthquake might even be breaking it down but the team leader won’t even realize because he is so focused with his work. The marketing director clears his throat but doesn't get any reaction. Even when he tries to call the other's name, Yifan doesn't seem to notice him. Zitao walks over to inspect closely if the taller male has his ears plugged with earphones, even though he knows it is highly unlikely. Once he is one hundred percent sure about the elder's ears being free of any type of blocks, Zitao calls the other's name again. Being out of patience, the younger slams his hand on the team leader's desk. This makes Yifan jump in his seat, the papers in his hands flying at the surprising sound.

"Tao!" Yifan clutches his chest, looking at the younger accusingly, "You gave me a fright!"

"Well," Zitao crosses his arms over his front after sitting by the edge of the other's table, "I've been trying to get your attention but you seemed too deep in your thoughts."

"Did you have to do that?" The team leader inquires as he collects the papers that flew from his hands, huffing and furrowing his eyebrows further when the younger just shrugs.

The conversation doesn't continue because the elder is quickly turning his attention back to the documents he's reading. This irks Zitao, snatching the papers from the other's hands even if he knows the consequences of such actions will be grave. When he looks at them, he notices that the elder is only at the second page. He raises an eyebrow because it is unusual for Yifan to be slow at reading and sorting his work, especially since work hours started three hours ago and based on what the younger can see on the other's desk, he hasn't been very productive within those hours.

Zitao closes his eyes and composes himself, placing the papers back down onto the desk, sliding them close to him when Yifan tries to go for them again. The team leader looks at him with a confused expression on his face while wringing his hands, a sign of nervousness that the younger did not expect.

"Okay," Zitao leans forward with a scrutinizing expression, letting the elder know that nothing goes past his eyes, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing?" Yifan shrugs, trying to be nonchalant as he struggles to retrieve his work from the younger's hands.

"Right," Zitao chuckles darkly, his face quickly changing to a stern expression, "nothing my ass." The younger snorts, "Last week you looked like you had rainbows for breakfast and now you're suddenly like this?"

"Like what?" The team leader looks offended but Zitao has never been the person who takes the elder's fake emotions into consideration, knowing the tough outer shell is just that, a shell. He knows that if he doesn't ask what is wrong, the taller male will just keep everything to himself, all congested inside his shell even if he can't breathe anymore.

As honestly as he can, Zitao replies, "Like you're not Yifan."

When he hears the other's response, the elder laughs nervously, shaking his head as he gathers the scattered documents on his table to distract himself. "Don't be ridiculous Zitao." He tries for another laugh, the thumping of his heart making it hard for him to even finish the sound from coming out of his mouth.

"It's the person you've been texting, isn't it?" To this, Yifan stiffens, the reaction caught by Zitao's eyes that never miss a thing. Even as the elder recovers, the marketing director still looks at him with a worried expression on his face. Without being asked, the younger offers his help, "You can talk to me you know." He's said such words before but the elder never really approached him for any sort of help. Zitao allows the team leader to distract himself, knowing that even if his eyes are directed somewhere else, his ears will still hear what the other is saying. The younger knows that Yifan is just pretending to be deaf to all the advices so he continues, "Everybody thought you've changed for the better." Zitao sighs, remembering how their officemates have been praising how the team leader has become more friendly to them. "Although," the word makes Yifan's ears prick up, all his attention drawn to the other's next words even as he pretends to be checking something on his e-mail, "you seem more distracted because you keep looking at your phone," the younger holds a hand up when he senses a retort threatening to roll off the tip of the elder's tongue, "but you've had the best relationship with your people in the past weeks compared to the last two to three years." Zitao lets the words sink in, stepping down from where he's seated to pour himself coffee.

"Am I that out of it?" Yifan asks unbelieving of the younger's words.

"Ge, since when have you been reading that document?" An uncharacteristic sound comes from Yifan, a groan that's cut in the middle by a sound that is comparable to the sound of a boiling kettle. Instead of responding though, the team leader places his forehead on his desk, groaning once more. Zitao chuckles at the other's reaction, fond at the elder for showing new sides to him, "Since you came in?" Yifan just nods his head against the glass of his desk.

"So I guess that answers your question?" The younger laughs when the elder replies with a deflated "Yeah," lips pursed as he sets the papers down.

"Does that mean you're raising the white flag and will share what's been bothering you?" Zitao blows at the hot beverage, raising an eyebrow to coax the team leader into spilling everything.

"It's nothing, really," Yifan shakes his head again, "nothing you need to worry about."

"Ge," Zitao drops the act of being nice and patient, throwing the other another serious look, "please. Stop pretending already. It's just the two of us here." As if to prove his words, the younger waves his hand around the rather empty room.

"Is it her then?" The marketing director gives the other male a knowing smile.

"Him." Yifan corrects, gulping and trying to remember if he hasn't told the younger about his sexuality.

"Shit, I forgot," Zitao seems to remember though, smiling sheepishly as he rubs the back of his head when he is reminded of something the team leader shared to him long ago, "sorry."

"It's okay." The elder smiles towards the other, knowing Zitao didn't mean for it to slip his mind.

When the silence starts to grow again, the younger clears his throat and urges the other to answer his previous question. Smiling a little when Yifan answers, albeit reluctantly, "Yes."

"It's not even him I'm worried about, well, it's," Yifan grumbles, unable to form a coherent sentence with Yixing in his mind, "it's weird because it's not really him but it's related to him."

Zitao just gives the elder a look, eyeing him carefully before uttering, "Are you jealous of someone?" The team leader doesn't really want to admit to it, finding it absurd for him to have such feelings based on a performance he watched and not from something he saw with his naked eyes. It doesn't help that the younger sounds very enthusiastic about his misery, smiling and laughing about it being the first time for him to know that Yifan has such emotions in him as well.

"You can just clear things out with him," Zitao suggests, like he's giving the most obvious answer to the team leader's dilemma, "and go back to normal to have lovey dovey dates again."

"That's the other problem." Yifan leans back on his chair, reminiscing about the younger's performances, the dinner and the lunch he had with Yixing and the back and forth exchange of messages. He’s wishing that Zitao's words are the reality, that they indeed have had lovey dovey dates.

"What is?" The younger asks curiously, brows creasing in curiosity at what else might be getting in the way of his friend's happiness.

"We're not really dating." Yifan mumbles, knowing that even with how quiet he said the words, the younger male will surely pick them up.

"Yet," the other asks incredulously, "right?"

"Just," Yifan sighs, defeated as he spits out what his mind has been thinking about so much lately, "I don't really know where I stand with him." The marketing director clicks his tongue, shaking his head in disbelief at how lost the elder looks like, something he has never seen before coming from the ever composed Wu Yifan.

"For him to be able to rile you up like this without being in a proper relationship is a feat, in my opinion." The younger comments, "Now I’m even more curious about this guy." Tao sets his mug onto the counter before moving back to the elder's desk. Then he wiggles his eyebrows as he adds, "Do you have a photo? You must have one." Even as Yifan narrows his eyes at him, the younger just offers his opened hand to the other, asking for what he wants to see. Giving in, Yifan digs his pocket for his phone, opening Yixing's Weibo account to show Zitao one of the recent selfies he posted. The younger inspects the set of photos, reading the short caption _before work_ only after looking through each picture. "He's cute," the younger smiles, asking the mystery person's name after, the stretch of his lips widening when he spots the dimple on Yixing's right cheek again, "I think he's perfect for you." He notices the blush on the elder's cheeks as he returns the mobile device, Yifan smiling unabashedly at the younger's compliment. "Though," like before, Zitao lets the word hang in the air, waiting for the team leader's eyes to be on him before continuing, laughing internally at how wide the other's pair have become, "it will be more perfect if you are honest with him and date him like you want to." Upon hearing the younger's words, Yifan groans again, head falling to his hands.

"What if he's not into guys?" The elder's question is a bit muffled by his palms but Zitao hears it, clicking his tongue once more at how negative Yifan is towards his prospective relationship with Yixing.

"So what?" The younger almost blows it, reminding himself that he's there to help not to scold. He calms down before continuing, "At least you tried, right?"

Yifan still looks unsure, eyes falling down to his screen where one of Yixing's selfies is still on. In the photo, the actor is not doing any poses, he's just showing off his dazzling smile and breath-taking dimple, eyes shaped into crescents as his lips stretch wide to show the genuineness of his smile.

"You want to be his boyfriend right?" Zitao asks as the team leader's eyes are glued to the screen of his phone. Yifan swipes right to see another photo of Yixing, holding up an L sign with his fingers as he wears an innocent expression on his face. Looking through the set of photos, there is one thing that comes across the elder's mind: He does want to be with Yixing. And he's ready to do anything. Yifan knows he will have to get to know the younger more and allow the actor to be more comfortable with him but he's willing to have a little delay as long as he gets Yixing in the end. With more determination, the team leader nods towards the other, Zitao smiling proudly back to him.

"So what was the other problem?" The marketing director maneuvers them back to their earlier topic, “Who were you getting jealous of?"

"It's nothing," Yifan shakes his head, now freely wearing a smile on his face as if a heavy weight was lifted off his chest, "It's stupid, really." But the younger isn’t letting him off the hook, raising an eyebrow when the team leader keeps mum for a few seconds. Yifan loses and quickly explains, "Yixing’s an actor," the frown on the other’s face giving away the fact that he doesn’t understand what the problem is with it, "and I'm stupid enough to get jealous of his co-actor."

"At least you know you're stupid." Zitao shrugs, sipping the last of his coffee before dodging a flying paper clip.

"Get out of here!" Yifan shouts, throwing the small metallic supply at his friend until the item can reach the fleeing one.

"Where are your manners?” The younger sounds disgusted, a hand splayed over his chest, “I just helped you here!"

But Yifan is having none of it, threatening the other with a hint of a playful smile on the corner of his lips as he shouts once more, "Out!"

 

~///~

 

 

Over the week Yifan slowly forgets the jealousy he felt towards Yixing’s co-star, spending his spare time talking to the younger and focusing all of his extra energy towards thinking of ways to win the other’s heart. All the interactions of Li Fengjie and Emperor Zhengde gradually disappear from his mind and are replaced by the sound of Yixing’s voice before he falls asleep with his phone stuck to his ear, Yifan still working on the other end of the line. Just like now, his earphones plugged to his ears as he shuffles papers on his desk, Yixing humming on the other end of the line. They’ve easily moved from just texting to calling, the switch turned on ever since Yifan came over to have lunch at the younger’s place. From then on, whenever Yifan is free and feels the need to hear the actor’s voice, he just calls the other, hoping he isn’t bothering Yixing in the middle of work.

“That sounds new,” Yifan comments when he hears the younger humming something he thinks he’s never heard before.

“It’s from Farewell My Concubine,” Yixing answers, diligently folding his clothes while he remembers how the song goes, making sure he still has a portion of his attention allotted for Yifan.

“I think I’ve heard of that before,” the taller male confesses, placing the documents he’s already finished reading to one corner of his desk.

“I’ll let you know about it when you have time,” the younger suggests, standing up and placing the folded garments into his cabinet, frowning when he hears papers rustling from Yifan’s end. When he looks at the clock to check the time, he barely stops himself from clicking his tongue in disapproval. Instead of doing so, Yixing asks the other with concern oozing from his voice, “Yifan, aren’t you going home yet?” He pauses to listen for any reactions from the other, continuing when no sound comes from the other, “It’s already nine and you’ve been doing this the whole week.” The actor worries his bottom lip when Yifan continues to stay quiet, afraid that he overstepped his boundaries. Then he hears the elder sigh.

“Is it that late already?” Yifan admits he didn’t even notice that it’s already way past his clock out time, so he says so, the disapproving noise the younger makes upon hearing his confession not going unnoticed. “Sorry, Xing,” the elder sighs again, hurriedly placing certain documents to his laptop case before zipping it up, “I’ll leave the office soon but you might be asleep already when I get home so good night?”

Yixing fans himself, his cheeks always colouring whenever he hears Yifan call him _Xing_ so endearingly. When the elder hums, he clears his throat and tells him to drive safely. Before the other can end the call, the actor tries to get the other’s attention, “And Yifan?” He continues only when he hears the taller male hum, “Don’t stay at the office so late tomorrow, okay? I,” the younger chews his bottom lip, “I have a show tomorrow so I won’t be here to scold you.” The team leader’s chuckle is contagious, making the younger smile and giggle as well, especially after Yifan says, “Yes, Baba.”

 

When Yixing takes the stage, he’s surprised to see a familiar figure sitting on the same chair with his tie loosened and a wide gummy smile on his face. The actor tries not to squeal while he is performing, his heart fluttering at the thought of Yifan surprising him at work even though this would be considered normal as the other never really said he’d be coming to watch Yixing the first two times either. But that doesn’t stop the actor from being giddy, thankful that the scenes they are doing for that night require lots of movement from him, that way he can be giddy without anyone thinking that something is different. Normally, the younger is able to control his smile so that his dimples do not show so much, but that night he is sure the indentation on his right cheek has been seen by everyone when they shouldn’t and he’s grateful that he did not receive an earful for it. He just receives a few words from their director, telling him to control himself next time but also praising him for his energy that night.

For the whole week, Yixing performs like this; enthusiastic and barely restraining himself whenever his gaze meets with Yifan’s. The sight after the performance is also something he looks forward to, the elder waiting for him by the entrance of the opera house with a bouquet in one hand or an umbrella over his head, rushing over to Yixing before the younger gets soaked. The actor feels the butterflies move about in his stomach every time he sees Yifan waiting for him, his smile making Yixing forget the gloomy weather. With Yifan’s insistence, the taller male drives him home, sometimes with Lu Han in the back seat. Whenever they get home he tells the younger that he’s getting tired of being a third wheel every time that he’s tempted to force his boyfriend Minseok to come for him just to save him from the heavy sexual tension between the two.

 

“I’ll be going to the Huguang Guild Hall tomorrow,” Yixing says on their way to his place when Yifan asks him what he’ll be doing for his day off , Lu Han abandoning him to be with his boyfriend.

“What for?” The taller male inquires, eyes on the road but ears on Yixing, curious as to what the younger has to do in another theater, wondering if he is going to be performing there for his free time.

“A friend invited me to watch their play,” the younger responds with a smile on his face, excitement obvious in his eyes despite the exhaustion he feels, “I’ve been meaning to go and see it with Lu Han but he’s been ditching me for his boyfriend so I just decided to go alone.”

Thinking that it will be a good idea to spend time with Yixing other than just the little time they get from driving the younger home after eating dinner, Yifan then suggests, “What if I go with you?”

Yixing perks up from where he’s seated, head turning towards the elder who puts the car on neutral at an intersection once the stoplight turns red. The taller male meets his gaze, a tired yet warm smile stretching his lips wide. Hesitant to just accept the offer, the actor asks, “Are you sure?”

Yifan hums as he relaxes against the headrest, “I can’t have you getting mad at me all the time for working too much even on my free day.” When Yixing narrows his eyes at him, the taller male chuckles lightly, stopping to smile and add, “I’d rather spend that time with you anyway.”

The younger feels heat on his cheeks as the blood rushes to them upon hearing Yifan’s words. He thanks the traffic lights for changing just then, shifting the elder’s attention away from him to driving. They spend the rest of the ride in comfortable silence, Yixing calming himself and hoping the air conditioning will cool down the warmth on his face.

“What time is the show you’re going to watch?” Yifan asks as he comes to a stop by the entrance of Yixing’s apartment building, watching the other’s face closely as the younger removes his seat belt to wear his backpack behind him.

“You’re really coming with me?” The actor worries his bottom lip, occupying himself with his bag so his eyes will not meet Yifan’s.

“You don’t want me to?” Yixing jumps because of the elder’s question, bowing slightly again before shaking his head.

“I was just thinking that you might want to rest instead.” The younger still doesn’t meet the taller male’s eyes, looking out of the window instead to observe the streetlights.

“Yixing,” the taller male repeats the actor’s name until Yixing faces him, “what did I tell you?” Yifan smiles to help relax the other who seems to be reluctant to meet his eyes, “I’d rather go watch a play with you than do nothing at home.” Usually, the team leader would stay in for his rest days, too lazy to move and interact with other people. But he surprises himself by inviting himself to join Yixing, knowing that if it were somebody else he would have opted not to.

The actor just keeps biting his bottom lip, nodding only when Yifan coaxes him into allowing the elder to accompany him. Yixing tells the taller male about the details he needs to know, reluctantly agreeing when Yifan argues that it will be faster if the elder picks him up so they can go to the theater together, after learning that he will drive by Yixing’s place to go to the opera house.

“They also have a small museum,” the actor informs Yifan, shyly continuing, “if you want to go see it maybe we should go earlier?”

“Sounds like a good idea.” The smile Yifan gives him makes his heart skip a beat, the genuine enthusiasm that comes along with it pulls the corner of Yixing’s lips up as well, the smile stretching when the elder adds, “You can school me about Peking Opera better.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” the excitement in Yifan’s voice rings in Yixing’s ears even as he takes the elevator up to his apartment. The feeling is so overwhelming that he has to cover his face with his hands before squealing into them while he jumps in place, all the bottled emotions coming out now that he is far from the reason for them. When the elevator doors open, the actor reckons he’ll need to put a lot of restraints when he goes out to watch with Yifan the next day.

 

~///~

 

 

As they’ve agreed on the night before, Yifan arrives at Yixing’s apartment for lunch, enjoying the younger’s cooking and mingling with the actor’s other friends too. He’s surprised when someone he’s acquainted with comes in with one of Yixing’s friends.

“Ge?” Fengsong has a mildly confused expression on his face, looking at Yifan like the elder is misplaced. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m friends with Yixing,” the taller male points to the other male who is bringing the rest of the dishes out. “Guess you’re with Chen Wen?”

“He’s my senior in college,” the younger boy splutters, almost shouting his words and catching everyone’s attention.

“Okay, kid,” Yifan lifts up both hands in a placating manner, “I was just asking who you came here with.” When everyone takes their seats around the dining table, Lu Han and Minseok decide to stay in the living room so everyone has enough space to move. Despite the small separation though, the conversation flows freely between the people on the dining table and the pair in the receiving area.

“Yixing, it’s almost three,” Lu Han informs him, the younger straightening up upon hearing the time, “you better get going or else the traffic will make you late.” The actor excuses himself after his friends assured him that they will take care of cleaning up. He showers quickly before dressing up, dabbing some cologne onto his pulse points and then he gives himself a once over on the mirror, checking if he’s fit to stand beside Yifan in his white shirt and black jeans. Although the other male came in wearing casual clothing, Yixing can’t help but think that he is not suited to walk at the other’s side, so he wears his best without going overboard. He hears a light knock on the door before his older roommate pokes his head in. When he sees the other open his mouth, he interrupts him by asking, “Do I look okay?” The elder closes his mouth and comes in, making sure to shut the door behind him before walking towards Yixing.

“You don’t look okay,” Lu Han fixes the collar of Yixing’s shirt, smiling a little when he feels the younger panic, “you look great.” The younger’s face scrunches up because of his best friend’s teasing and it makes the other laugh. After fastening the third button of Yixing’s shirt, Lu Han says, “He’s already waited for you for too long. Go already.” The younger nods and gives himself a last look in the mirror before following his roommate outside.

Yifan tries not to choke on his water when he sees Yixing come out of his room, the white shirt he’s wearing wrapping well around his torso while his jeans accentuate his sinewy thighs and his perky behind in a beautifully different way the garments he wears for his performances do. For the first time ever since the elder met the actor, the younger has his hair pushed back to show his forehead, his face bare except for a thin layer of powder, drawing all of Yifan’s attention towards his pink, plump lips. He’s pulled back to reality when Yixing beckons him with a hand, “Let’s go?”

 

They arrive at the theater with enough time to go around the small museum. Yifan makes sure he sticks close to Yixing, wanting to hear everything the younger says about the stuff they have up for exhibit and also just to be near the other. The taller male somehow feels bad sometimes when Yixing is talking so passionately about something but he’s not listening well. It’s hard for him to pay attention to the words the younger is saying when all of his focus is on the way the actor’s lips move, chastising himself when his thoughts stray too far and fall into the gutter. He smiles whenever the actor turns towards him, a slew of scolding already at the tip of his tongue but all that comes out of Yixing’s mouth is, “Are you even listening?” And even though Yifan doesn’t know how the younger will take it, he just turns the actor around for them to move on to the next exhibit, hurrying the other along and suppressing the smile on his face whenever he sees Yixing pout in reply. When asked if he wants to see the actors performing that night put on their makeup, the elder refuses and says, “I’ve already seen you put on your makeup, I don’t need to see others do theirs.” He can’t help but smile when he sees the younger turn away, the blush evident on his cheeks because of the taller male’s words.

The actor pulls Yifan by the sleeve of his arm when the performance is about to start, guiding him to their table that is just in the center of the hall, the right distance to the stage. Compared to Liyuan Theater, Yifan notices that the Huguang Guild Hall looks more ancient, remembering Yixing telling him that the place was built in the 1800s and one of the oldest opera houses in Beijing. He looks around the hall as he sips on his tea, Yixing doing the same even if he has been to the theater before. The younger is telling him how the reconstruction stayed in keeping with how the stages of before were, the colors red, green and blue of the whole place molding with the lanterns and warm yellow lights. On the stage a huge square cloth in yellow that has a dragon and phoenix embroidered on the center stands as a curtain where the performers will come out from. He shares a few smiles with Yixing who’s sitting beside him, his eyes lingering on the younger even long after the actor has looked away to nod to a few elderly people seated on the tables around them. Some of the people in the audience recognize Yixing and talk to him, Yifan feeling proud whenever he hears them praise the younger.

Their attention quickly shifts to the stage where a woman in red introduces the play in English, _The Monkey King_ , Yifan belatedly realizing that there are a lot of foreign tourists in the hall as well, cameras out to snap a photo and maybe record videos of the performance. Just like before, the orchestra starts the show, the percussions taking over when an actor, whose face is painted like a mask, comes out from one of the openings of the curtain. They accompany the actor as he moves around the stage, wielding and twirling the spear in his hands. The orchestra stops when it is time for the actor to speak, his words broken in between as he moves, then the accompaniment comes in again, the act repeated until another character comes in from the other opening. They don’t stay on the stage for too long, leaving one by one after a few exchanges. Another actor comes out, a female warrior, Yifan recalls based on the actor’s outfit. The long feathers coming out of her headdress follow her movements as she twirls around the stage. She is then joined by the characters from earlier, the two making the stage look more colourful and lively with their movements. The comedic acts incorporated in the play make people laugh, Yifan exchanging looks with Yixing who whispers to him from time to time. The fight scenes also steal the spotlight, always leaving the elder in awe by the well-choreographed display and how the actors don’t get dizzy and forget their lines after so many turns. The female warrior eventually leaves, the male lead giving up his spear to do more tricks with a different weapon that looks like a blade, leaving the stage soon after a few spins with a round of applause following him.

 

“I have to wait for my friend,” Yixing says once they’ve left the hall, looking a little guilty as he looks at the time, knowing Yifan has work early the next day unlike him who starts late, “I promised to talk to him before I go.”

Seeing the worry in the younger’s face, Yifan makes certain to reassure him, “It’s okay,” smiling when the crease in Yixing’s brow doesn’t disappear with just his words. He admits that he is already exhausted and his bed sounds really tempting at the moment but the thought of being able to spend more time with Yixing is even more enticing than his soft pillows and warm blanket. So he stands beside the other, chatting about the play as they wait for the younger’s friend just outside the dressing rooms. And then Yifan hears someone call the man beside him, the voice sounding like one he’s heard before.

“Yixing!” The man is quick to give Yixing a hug, pulling away slightly to see the younger’s face before embracing him again, excitedly saying, “Long time no see, man!”

“Indeed,” Yixing replies with a smile, turning to Yifan when they’ve caught up a bit.

Yifan is frozen in place the moment he gets a good look of the younger’s friend and when Yixing introduces them to each other, his assumptions prove to be right about who he is.

“By the way, this is my friend Yifan,” Yixing introduces the elder first, slapping his friend on the arm for asking what kind of friend the taller male is. The younger is thankful that the other didn’t seem to catch his friend’s comment, unusually stiff as he stands beside Yixing, but the actor continues with the introductions.

“Yifan this is my friend and upperclassman in the academy,” the name Yixing says is a name that the elder saw weeks ago in the opening credits of the video he watched where the younger plays as Li Fengjie. The name is written just below the character _Emperor Zhengde_ and Yifan’s blood boils for some reason when he hears the name being uttered by the younger, “Chuan Duyi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Click to watch an act from [The Monkey King](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qmukYFGOHyk)


	5. Act V: Farewell My Concubine

After the night at the Huguang Guild Hall, Yifan has been trying his best to be connected to Yixing more often than before; calling the younger during his breaks at work, watching the actor’s performances as much as he can and spending his free days with the other. He has even gone as far as inviting the smaller male over to his apartment for a change in scenery which Yixing gladly accepted, promising to cook for Yifan as payment for his intrusion. The elder wanted to say no, that the younger doesn’t need to do anything but the idea of seeing Yixing moving in his kitchen was too tempting for him not to allow the other to do what he wants.

That’s how he opens the door that Sunday afternoon, his excitement almost making him stumble and fall face flat in front of the entrance to his house, coming home after doing some grocery shopping with the younger. Yifan rubs the back of his head in embarrassment and he wears a sheepish smile on his face while he punches in his door code. When he does manage to open the door, Yixing has a bright smile on his face, unable to stop the laughter bubbling in his chest or hide his giggles because of the plastic bags of grocery in his hands. He tries to help Yixing in the kitchen, washing and preparing the vegetables which he eventually passes to the younger because the other keeps laughing at the uneven sizes of his cuts. Instead of being the cause of delay of their dinner, Yifan just stays beside Yixing, watching his practiced knife skills and listening to him humming to some tunes. The elder’s sole job after the smaller male finishes preparing what he is going to cook is to clean the mess afterwards, preparing the dining table with Yixing while they wait for their food to finish cooking. In the middle of their dinner, the younger startles himself, as if remembering something by clapping his hands once.

“I forgot to tell you,” Yifan is immediately all ears, putting down his chopsticks and drinking from his glass to prepare for what the younger is going to say, “I’m going to audition for a play.” The smile on the other’s face conveys the mixture of excitement and nervousness that the elder can’t help but feel the same way. Without knowing what he’s doing, the taller male reaches for Yixing’s hand, squeezing it as he mirrors the younger’s smile.

“When?” Yifan asks quietly, Yixing slowly uncurls his hand to hold the elder’s. Just as quietly as the taller male asked it, the younger replies at the same volume, “This Wednesday.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Once the question comes out of his mouth, Yifan scolds himself, afraid that Yixing will quickly remove his hand from the elder’s hold. But contrary to his predictions, the younger tightens his grip, eyes questioning the sincerity of his offer. The taller male squeezes his hand back just as firmly with a smile on his face, answering the younger’s unvoiced thoughts.

When he is completely sure that the elder isn’t just toying with him, Yixing utters with a genuine smile, “I’d love for you to be there.” Yifan pats himself on the back, the tension in his shoulder relaxing as they look into each other’s eyes.

They continue their dinner with the younger sharing his anxieties about the upcoming audition, what role he is aiming for and the main point of the play’s story. He confesses that it has been a long time since he touched any material regarding the play but it is a dream role that he cannot fathom not to try out for.

It is only when the younger receives a message from his roommate asking him where he is, the two realize that it’s already close to ten in the evening and they fell too deep into their conversations that they forgot the time. Yifan offers to drive Yixing home but the younger vehemently rejects it, telling the elder he will see him on the day of the audition because the actor will use all of his extra time practicing for it. The taller male doesn’t want to think that this is the other’s subtle way of letting him know that he doesn’t want to see him in the coming days but the dimple on Yixing’s cheek pushes away such thoughts, as he walks the younger to the train station. Despite the time, the crowd going in to be on their way home is still dense and there are times when they the two get separated by the moving mass. Using this to his advantage, Yifan takes Yixing’s hand in his own, surprising the younger when he tugs him closer to his side. They don’t share a single word though, just walking silently with the crowd with their hands connected.

“Wednesday,” Yifan utters, pulling the younger’s hand as they stop in front of the entrance to the walkway that will lead the smaller to his train.

“Wednesday.” Yixing answers, unsure if he should be the first one to let go or wait for the elder to do so. In the end, they let go at the same time, smiling to themselves before increasing the distance between them. The younger waves his goodbye as he walks with his back to the gates, tapping his metro card before walking further back to create a partition between him and Yifan.

Even as Yixing has disappeared into the stairs going to the platforms, Yifan still can’t erase the smile on his face, his hand still tingling with the warmth that the younger’s hand left on it. The grooves of the actor’s smaller hand left a temporary impression on the elder’s larger one and a permanent one in Yifan’s mind.

 

~///~

 

Wednesday arrives quickly, much to Yifan’s delight as he has been itching to see Yixing. The team leader is out of the building way before the clock strikes twelve, surprising everyone in the office when he tells Weizhou he will take his work outside, something that he rarely does. He drives to Yixing’s place as fast as he can, afraid that they will get to the theater late and have the actor miss his turn. The younger is already waiting for him by the entrance of the apartment when his vehicle pulls up.

“Are we late?” The elder asks frantically when the actor takes his place in the passenger seat, calm and collected, unlike the man beside him.

“Yifan, the auditions start at two.” Yixing reminds the taller male, the digital clock on the dashboard telling them it’s only fifteen minutes past twelve, “Relax.” Upon hearing the younger’s words, Yifan breathes out before putting the car on drive, laughing along when the actor chuckles beside him.

“Nervous?” Yifan asks, seeing the younger fidgeting in his seat, wringing his hands while his eyes dart from one building to another, his earlier composure making way for the hidden well of emotions. When the actor doesn’t respond, the taller male carefully places a hand over Yixing’s pair, his large one easily covering both of the other’s smaller ones. When the younger turns towards him, the elder smiles and encourages him, “They’ll love you.”

“I hope you’re right.” Yixing gives him a nervous smile, a rare sight as he always seems confident in Yifan's eyes, turning his head to look out the window again. He doesn’t really want to think so much about it but as the clock ticks down and their vehicle comes closer to its destination, the reality makes itself more prominent that he just can’t push it to the back of his mind and pretend that it’s not yet happening.

“I _am_ right.” The elder squeezes the other’s hand, getting the actor’s attention again, “You believe me, right?” Yixing breathes in deeply, not thinking twice before nodding, not to make the taller male stop worrying but because he really believes him, believes Yifan with all his being. “There you go,” the smaller male mirrors the smile on the other’s face, his nervousness somehow dissipating to make way for excitement as the elder starts talking about how he will wow everyone with his talent.

Once they arrive at the theater, the place is already crowded, aspiring and veteran actors wanting to be the one chosen for the next big production. Yifan doesn’t really like the idea of leaving Yixing, wanting to be with him throughout the process but the younger insists that he’ll be alright, that knowing the elder is there waiting for him is already enough. Although reluctant, the taller male nods after seeing the amount of people inside the opera house, promising the actor that he will be waiting at a coffee shop if he’s lucky to find an available table. Yifan squeezes the younger’s hand before completely letting go, restraining himself from running after Yixing while he watches the other enter the old building. The smaller male looks back once and the elder uses the chance to mouth a quick _Good luck_ before the actor disappears into the ocean of auditionees.

With a heavy heart, the team leader tries to find a café or a shop that he can settle in, lucky enough to spot an available seat in the first coffee shop he stops by. He sits himself by the window where he can see the alley going to the entrance to the theater, hoping to get some work done while he waits for the other to finish.

As much as Yifan wants to focus on his work so he can stop worrying about Yixing, he can’t, the open document on his laptop still blank as his Americano turns cold. The elder doesn’t even get to read much from the documents he brought with him, eyes moving from the papers before looking outside even when he hasn’t moved on from that one sentence he’s been reading.

“Yifan, right?” The tall male looks to where his name has been called to see Chuan Duyi standing near his table. “Duyi,” the man stretches his arm out to offer a hand, “you remember me? Yixing’s friend?”

 _You don’t have to remind me._ Yifan wants to answer but instead of doing so, he just nods, turning back to his papers to play pretend after quickly shaking the other’s hand.

“I saw Yixing inside,” Duyi informs him and this makes him sit up, turning towards the smiling face of the actor. The jealousy burns strong inside him as he sees the other’s smile widen, knowing that mentioning Yixing will catch the serious man’s attention. Instead of saying anything again, Yifan just nods, moving the papers as if he isn’t interested by what the other is saying. “I heard he wants to audition for the role of Consort Yu. It would be nice if he can get the part since I’ll be playing Xiang Yu.”

Yifan tries not to show any emotions after what the other said, smiling as he replies, “It would be nice for him to be casted to play that character since it is Yixing’s dream role.” The tall male thinks it’s petty but he wants to make sure the other knows that Yixing acquiring the role will be great for the younger because he is deserving of it and because he wants it so bad, not because Duyi will be the one playing his partner. As if the heavens know that he doesn’t like even being in the same room as Chuan Duyi, his phone vibrates from inside his pocket, retrieving it quickly to see Yixing’s name flashing on the screen. He doesn’t answer it though, not wanting the man standing beside him to interrupt his time with the younger again.

“Excuse me,” Yifan still has manners to say so, shoving his documents into the laptop case before taking one last sip from his coffee, “have to go now.” He doesn’t even say a proper goodbye, leaving the actor hanging as he walks, almost runs, out of the coffee shop to see Yixing.

After two hours of being apart, his nerves fraying because of worrying for the younger, Yifan breathes out a sigh of relief when he sees the other standing just outside the entrance of the theater with his phone to his ear. Wanting to surprise the actor, the elder places a hand on Yixing’s shoulder, making the other jump, almost hitting Yifan for the attack. When the smaller male recognizes who it is, he jumps up and embraces Yifan, arms wrapping around the elder’s neck and pulling the other down, unable to contain his happiness anymore.

“I got it,” he breathes out against Yifan’s ear, feeling the tears fill the rims of his eyes, overjoyed by the news he is imparting. “I got the part,” he repeats when the elder pulls away to place his hands on the actor’s shoulders, eyes wide in question. The smile Yifan gives him has Yixing agreeing to himself that telling the elder about the good news first was a good idea. The taller male seems to be more excited than him, pulling the actor into a tight hug and even lifting him off the ground with words of congratulations and praises coming out of his mouth. After feeling the intense gaze of the people surrounding them, they finally loosen their embrace around each other. But all Yixing really wants to do is to bury himself back into Yifan’s chest and stay there in that moment of bliss.

 

~///~

 

Yixing calls Lu Han once they’re already in the car, hands stopped from their trembling by the elder’s thumb massaging soothing circles on the back of his hand. He tells his best friend about the good news and that they will celebrate after tonight’s performance, knowing that the elder is already at the opera house to prepare for the show. The younger hangs up after reminding his roommate that he and Yifan will be waiting for them in the hot pot place near Liyuan Theater.

They decide to go back to Yixing’s apartment where, for the first time, Yifan hears the actor talk to his parents to share with them the good news. When he asks why the younger didn’t call them earlier, the smaller male replies:

“I need to be calm first before talking to them.”

Yifan is then reminded of Yixing’s relationship with his parents, forgetting the rift the younger still has with them because of how bright the actor’s smiles always are. It’s not that awful compared to others but he can see the sadness in the other’s eyes after he ends the call, wanting the congratulatory words to be uttered more sincerely. When the smaller male excuses himself, Yifan places an arm over the other’s shoulder and keeps the younger seated beside him.

“Don’t let anything get you down,” the taller male whispers as gentle as he can. The younger looks up to meet his eyes, head bowing quickly when he realizes just how close their faces are but Yifan doesn’t move, wanting to see upclose the blush tinting the other’s cheeks. He can feel the heat radiating from Yixing’s body but he doesn’t let go, keeping the other tucked to his side until there is no ounce of sadness in his body anymore.

Yifan only releases the younger when the actor verbalizes his need to stand up, “I’ll get us something to drink.” He smiles when he sees the actor scurry away, the red looking beautiful where they sit on the apples of his cheeks.

Halfway through a document, the elder looks up from the page he’s currently reading to see Yixing watching him closely with a fond expression on his face.

“Do I have something on my face?” Yifan quickly wipes a palm over his face, checking if anything sticks to it, only to find nothing. Yixing shakes his head then, smiling like a child while he does so before replying, “It’s just, it’s the first time I’m seeing you do work. You always see _me_ work.” The elder opens his mouth to let out a sound that means he’s getting it now before saying, “There’s nothing fascinating about what I do though.”

What Yixing responds with has the taller male wearing the flush the younger earlier did, “But there’s something fascinating about your face when you work.” Yifan just smiles, the corners of his lips quivering as he restrains himself from asking what is so interesting about it for the other to watch him so intently. Instead he just turns his focus back to the papers in front of him, aware the the other still has his eyes on him. The giggles coming from Yixing distract him from moving on to the next sentence though, the younger not stopping even as Yifan looks up to see what is so funny which the actor responds with a shake of his head before retrieving his tablet to occupy himself and not bother the elder anymore.

They spend the remaining hours in their own corners, Yifan with his documents and Yixing with his tablet and earphones, watching past performances of Mei Lanfang and other opera actors as Consort Yu. As much as the elder wants to sidle up to the other and see what the actor is watching, he also wants the younger’s debut as Consort Yu to be his first time to see such a performance of the play, knowing the smaller male will be able to fulfill his role well. He just busies himself with his work, eyes darting to the other from time to time to see him mimicking the person he’s watching. When the clock reads eight o’clock, Yixing clears out the table of their snacks and drinks before helping Yifan with his things, walking to the car with some of the elder’s stuff in his hands.

“Just think of me as your little secretary,” Yixing smiles up as he suggests when he urges the taller male to let him hold some of his things. The idea of the younger being his secretary, seeing him everyday wearing a suit has Yifan’s brain going haywire for a second, kickstarting again when the elevator opens to the ground floor. He shakes his head and chastises himself for having such thoughts again, such visions occurring more often lately.

The drive to the restaurant is quiet as usual, Yixing humming a tune as he always does and Yifan just enjoying the quiet and the thrum of joy that’s barely above the surface, the ride always comfortable with the actor around. When they arrive, they reserve a table for their group, Lu Han inviting his boyfriend and Chen Wen informing Yixing that Fengsong will tag along as well. Their friends arrive in pairs, shooting them meaningful looks as they near the table but as they come closer, their smiles change when they come up to give Yixing a congratulatory hug. They easily fall into separate conversations but Yifan never feels out of place, all of them incorporating the tall male into their dialogues that go from Yixing’s new play to the courses that Minseok is taking for his Master’s degree. Looking around the table then to the wall clock, Yifan realizes two things: first, his circle of friends has grown and second, he has been spending more time outside his own home than before. To his left is the reason for these, _Yixing_ , and he is nothing but grateful for these changes in his life, this feeling supported by the dimple digging on the actor’s right cheek.

 

~///~

 

The following weeks become busy for Yixing, his day packed with things to do from morning to night. He practices in the morning, gets his rest after lunch then he rushes to Liyuan to perform at night because his role as Bai Suzhen is not yet fully handed over to his understudy. Due to his tight schedule, he rarely gets to see Yifan, sometimes he even has to reject, albeit reluctantly, the elder's offer to see him for lunch because he needs to have some rest before coming in for work. The taller male doesn't really mind, understanding that the actor needs all the rest he can get to be able to give his one hundred percent for all of the things that he has on his plate. He resigns himself into being content with talking to the younger before his day ends as long as they still get to see each other every now and then, their Sundays usually allotted for each other and mostly spent at the younger's place. Sometimes their friends also join them, if they don't hang out at a nearby mall, they pop a movie to their newly bought television or just simply eat and chat to catch up on each other's lives. Whenever the actor decides not to join whatever they have planned for that day, Yifan would always stay behind with him, sitting on the floor while Yixing lies down on the couch. Their day would pass by quietly and end with takeout boxes stacked in the trash can, the ending credits of a movie rolling as the younger rubs his eyes while he stands on the threshold of their apartment door, seeing the taller male out even if all his body wants to do is sleep.

Tonight is such a night but before the elder can walk away towards the elevators, Yixing's hand catches the hem of his shirt, the other still rubbing the sleep off of his eyes as he tries, but miserably fails, to stifle his yawn.

"Hey," the younger calls out to Yifan, tugging the taller male's shirt until he turns back around, inwardly smiling at the cute display that never fails to make his heart skip a beat especially when Yixing yawns but shapes his lips like a small 'o' instead of opening his jaw wide.

"What is it?" The elder's hand instinctively goes to the other's hand that is on his shirt, removing its hold from his clothing before folding his own with it.

At the beginning, they are both still awkward after any kind of physical contact but over time, holding each other's hands has become normal and their meet-ups don't feel complete without having held the other's hand. The contact doesn't exactly scream too much intimacy, they also don't intertwine their fingers, just connecting their hands whenever they feel the need to have the other's warmth for whatever purpose it may be used for; to help push away the nervous thoughts or to stand as a reminder that there is someone beside them.

"Sorry about the other day," Yixing's words are interrupted by a yawn, his eyes watering at the same time and all the elder wants to do is reach out and thumb the tear rolling down the other's cheeks. Yifan tilts his head to the side, not exactly following what the younger is talking about. "I ditched you for lunch again," the actor explains further, eyes falling to where their hands are connected, "I'm sorry, it's been happening so frequently lately."

"Yixing," the elder lifts his other hand up to place by the actor's neck and the younger has to suppress the sound threatening to come out of his mouth because of Yifan's warm hand on his most sensitive area. He focuses on the patterns of the tiles on the floor to pull his attention away from the warmth on his neck, bowing his head slightly to hide the red colouring his cheeks, hoping Yifan thinks that he is just really sorry for what happened. "Didn't I tell you that it was okay?"

The team leader had already left his office when Yixing called to cancel their lunch and he had to make a u-turn to return to their building, deciding to just have lunch by himself at the Japanese restaurant beside it because Yifan knows the younger will get mad if he knew that the elder didn't have a meal and the actor would eventually blame himself for it due to him cancelling their meet-up. "Besides," the elder squeezes the other's hand, smiling to himself when he feels the younger return the gesture, "I understand that you're busy." He smiles towards Yixing, hoping it'll be enough to assure him and support his words, "I am even worse than you are, I forget appointments sometimes when I'm too engrossed with work. Also, yours is physical work you need more rest than me."

"That's not true!" Yixing jumps up at his own response, startling himself with the volume and with what he said. "I mean, of course I need to see friends who encourage me. You are a source of strength too, you know." The younger chews on his lips, hoping the justification he gave is on the safe side, afraid the other will run away from him because of his careless words.

 _I know exactly what you mean._ Yifan wants to say but instead of turning the conversation awkward, he just ruffles Yixing's hair, the fringe falling to the younger's eyes making him smile at how much of a kid the other looks like that he's once again questioning the actor's age. After a while though, the smaller male starts getting annoyed by the action and swats the elder's hand, arguing that even if he is just going to bed he doesn't want his hair to be messier than it already is.

"Anyway," Yixing grabs hold of both of the elder's hand, keeping them below their waist level as he continues, "I will be free for lunch on Saturday, if you want? Though I have to go back to practice at two." Yifan knows that this is just the actor trying to make up for cancelling on their scheduled lunch but the elder can't help the little back flip his stomach does for the other's initiative and offer. Needless to say, he quickly nods, promising Yixing that he will just meet him at the theater and they'll have lunch somewhere near so they don't have to hurry. The smile that stretches the actor's lips has Yifan overlooking the obvious sleepiness in the younger's eyes. The taller male leaves with a good night falling from his lips, Yixing peeking from behind the door until he disappears into the elevator hoping Saturday will arrive as fast as possible.

 

~///~

 

As if the heavens heard his prayers, Yifan finds Saturday coming close, his mood getting better as the weekend draws near. And when the day finally arrives, a smile is plastered on his face from the very moment he wakes up and his clock reminds him what day it is.

“I know weekends are something to look forward to but today seems special,” Zitao comments, leaning against Weizhou's desk when he sees Yifan walking back to his office after fetching himself some snacks in the break room.

The smile on the team leader's face doesn't fall even as he replies, "Stop sticking your nose into other people's business, Tao."

The younger fakes a shiver, using one of his hands to rub his arm up and down, "You look creepier saying that with a smile on your face." The marketing director looks at Weizhou, asking him, "How do you even work for this man? He's scary!" Yifan reaches for one of the folders on his secretary's table before whacking his friend on the head.

"You're scaring my secretary away." The elder shooes the other away with the help of the flimsy paper material, "Don't you have better things to do than ruin my perfect day?"

But if there is something that Zitao is it is being persistent, so he asks "And it's perfect because?"

Yifan narrows his eyes and with a straight face answers, "Because it's Saturday." The younger is not satisfied with the taller male's response but quickly raises the white flag and backs away to hide in his own office.

Once the threat of annoyance, in the form of sharp features and olive skin are out of the picture, Yifan turns to his secretary, "Weizhou, tell me when it's already eleven." He has informed the younger about his early out that day, not sharing why and the other doesn't really bother asking because his boss delivers even if he's been bringing most of his work home lately. The secretary nods, giving an affirmative before his boss disappears into his own space again.

 

Yixing waits by the entrance of the Zhengyici Theater where he's been practicing for the new play that will be open to the public in roughly two weeks. He rocks on the heels of his feet, his hand tightly gripping his phone inside his pocket in case Yifan gives him a call or writes him a message. His grip tightens even more when he feels a hand on his neck, turning with his other hand already balled into a fist. It turns lax though when he sees who it is. With a smile brighter than he's ever seen before, Yifan squeezes on the younger's neck.

"Did you wait long?" The elder releases his hold on the other's neck, an apologetic expression rippling through his features when he asks. Thankfully, Yixing shakes his head and replies, "I just came out a few minutes ago." They quickly move to find a restaurant where they can spend the next hour and a half of the younger's break before parting again. Yifan allows the actor to decide on where they should eat, the other instantly and surprisingly pulling him into a McDonald's restaurant. The smaller male confesses with a shy smile afterwards that he's been craving for fries and sundae even if he knows he's not allowed to have either and most especially both at the same time. Yifan indulges him, even offering to buy him another serving of the soft ice cream when he sees just how much the younger eats it with gusto, sometimes even dipping his fries into the cold treat. When Yixing catches him watching, the actor shyly smiles but dips a pair of the fried food into the ice cream before offering it to the taller male, "Try it." Yifan, weak to Yixing and all his quirks, opens his mouth, his lips tingling where the younger's fingertips touched them.

Sadly, the younger's lunch break is over quicker than how Saturday arrived and soon they find themselves back in front of the theater where Yixing tries to tell Yifan that he doesn't need to wait for him to finish. But the elder reassures the smaller male that he already has everything he has to work on so he just needs to find a shop to stay at for the whole duration of waiting for the actor. When the younger looks up at him he makes sure he wears his kicked puppy expression and Yixing reluctantly nods, telling him, "If you need to go back to your office, it's okay."

Unlike before, Yifan is able to focus now, finding a new coffee shop to stay in as he feels like having a change in view and he doesn't really want to remember seeing Chuan Duyi there. Good thing is the café nearer to the entrance of the theater have available tables that are facing the front of the old building. He sends Yixing a message to inform the other of his location, even telling him that their coffee is better than the other shop even without having the need to share it. The team leader almost jumps from his seat when his phone buzzes on the table an hour or so later, the younger suggesting for him to try the raspberry cheesecake, the message followed by a dozen emojis of a cake and a smiley with his tongue out indicating that the food is delicious. Yifan follows his advice and writes back with his commentary on the dessert, not sulking when he doesn't get a reply, thinking the actor must have just slipped out only for a bit to check his phone and reply to the elder.

Yifan doesn't get any reply for the remaining three hours, spending the last thirty minutes of it reading through some articles about Peking Opera, purposefully avoiding some about Farewell My Concubine, wanting himself to be surprised when he watches Yixing's performance. He reaches for his mobile device from inside his pocket while his eyes move to finish reading about The Legend of the White Snake. A smile draws itself on his lips when he sees it's from Yixing, the actor informing him that their practice is done and he's about to come out. When Yifan lifts his head up, his eyes directed towards the entrance of Zhengyici, the smile is immediately upturned. His vision turns red when he sees Yixing with Duyi's arm over his shoulder, pulling him close to him and whispering to his ear. Yifan fears that he will break his smartphone with how tight his grip is on it but that's all he can do when the younger's co-actor pulls the smaller male for an embrace before he sees Yixing walking towards him. Instead of going in, the actor knocks on the glass to get the other's attention. The elder quickly snaps out of it, closing his laptop before gathering his things to leave.

"You didn't get bored?" Is Yixing's first question right when the taller male comes out. Yifan just shakes his head and leads the way to where he parked his car, footsteps hurried without bothering to wait for the other. The younger just follows without thinking about the elder’s reaction, using the walk to enjoy the noises surrounding them and the artificial lights that show them the path they have to take.

They settle into their seats without exchanging words, something that isn’t out of the ordinary, the two always thankful for the other who understands that not every lull in a conversation needs something to fill it. As with their previous rides together, they don't talk much but something in the air makes Yixing worry, especially when the silence starts growing and becomes uncomfortable. Looking at the man on the driver's seat, he instantly feels a different aura coming from him. He worries his bottom lip as he eyes Yifan, wanting to reach out and smooth the creases on the other’s forehead.

"Yifan?" The younger times to question the elder when they come to a stop at a corner. Yifan just grunts to show that he is listening and even that is bothering the actor as the other would usually give a verbal reply or hum, but he still continues, "Did something happen?" The taller male makes a noncommittal sound, turning right to take the car towards the direction of Yixing's apartment without saying anything to confirm or deny the other’s thoughts. Afraid that he's not trying hard enough, the smaller male encourages the other to speak, "I can tell that there's something troubling you and it's nagging at me that I can't do anything so at least just tell me? Maybe that will help a bit."

Yifan doesn't say anything, his hand gripping the steering wheel hard as he feels the actor’s eyes on him, boring holes into his skull. His sweaty palms make squeaky noises when he tightens his hands around the leather. He isn't planning on letting the other in on what's in his mind because he is afraid of what will come of it. But when they finally stop in front of the younger's apartment building, Yixing urges him again, his voice so gentle that the elder wants to melt in it.

Exhausted with the mix of emotions running rampant in him, Yifan deflates and allows them to possess him, "Xing, isn't there anybody else who can take your job?"

"What? What do you mean?" The actor is obviously confused, furrowing his brows as he tries to understand what the elder is trying to ask, having already passed the torch to his understudy the week before, "I already have someone filling in for my role as Bai Suzhen."

"No," the taller male closes his eyes and pushes the words out of his mouth, "as Consort Yu."

The silence grows as Yixing just stares at Yifan, wondering if this is just one of the other's lame jokes but when the elder finally turns to him with a serious expression on his face, the actor second guesses the possibility of that.

"Where is this coming from?" The smaller male asks incredulously, eyes wide in shock as he leans as far back as possible.

"Or maybe that Duyi guy can be replaced." The other actor’s name tastes like metal on Yifan’s tongue and he barely gets to say his name without wanting to punch the image of Yixing’s friend in his mind, the jealousy he feels because of the other reaffirming its presence. The crease on the actor's face increases tenfold at the taller male's suggestion, appalled at the words he just said especially since the other actor is a close senior of his.

"Yifan, are you listening to yourself?" Yixing asks with a breathy texture to his voice, unbelieving of what the other is suddenly spewing. He doesn’t know where the taller male is getting the words he’s saying and what he means with them, confused by what is happening.

The elder pushes his back against his seat, his voice edging on an angry tone as he massages his eyelids and feeling the heat radiating from his own body despite the AC being turned on. Without looking at Yixing, he spits out, "I just don't like him around you."

Yixing's jaw falls as he hears these words, his back meeting the cold glass of the door’s window as he looks at the other with unconvinced eyes. He blinks once to see if maybe he is just dreaming, but when he opens his eyes again he sees the other still seated on the driver's seat and the tension is still the same. When the other looks at him with an expression he has never seen before, something inside him churns, anger slowly boiling up from where he's trying to keep it at bay.

"And you think I would give up my dream role just because you don't like him being around me?" Yixing reaches for his bag from the backseat, trying his best not to touch the other in any way, disgusted at the other for being able to think that way. Once he has retrieved the item, he continues, eyes trained on Yifan's as he fights the tears that are welling up and slowly filling the rim of his eyelids, "You know how much this means to me and you're going to ask me to do that?" His grasp around the strap of his backpack tightens, hoping it will help in dispersing his anger in some way, "I thought you understood me completely."

"Just don't spend so much time with him." Yifan pleads but the way it comes out of his mouth makes it sound more like a command and the few words’ effect on Yixing are like restraints, trying to constrict him and his movements, his freedom.

"I'm working with him, Yifan," Yixing fumes, reminding the elder once more in case he forgot, finally allowing his anger to explode as he hears the absurdity coming out from the elder's lips, "I can't do that when I'm doing my job."

When Yifan tries to open his mouth to argue, Yixing shakes his head in defeat and opens the door. He doesn’t allow for the other to say another word, knowing just by looking at the taller male in the eye that nothing good is going to come out of his lips. The actor throws daggers with his eyes as he spits the following words towards the elder, "How dare you ask me to do this when we’re not even in a relationship." At the height of his emotions, the younger leaves the car, closing the door shut with a slam and without the usual goodbye accompanied with the stretch of his lips.

The realization crashes at Yifan without breaks, the sound it makes ringing as loud as when Yixing slammed the door, mingling with the pain of his heart shattering into pieces at the younger's last words. He slams his head against the steering wheel, chastising himself for not being able to control himself and understand the younger better, saying the same word over and over as he repeats the action, "Stupid!"


	6. Act VI: Without You

The skies are gloomy once more, they have been for the past few days but only now does it bother Yifan, wanting to think of everything else other than what is really running around his mind. The night before was such a nightmare that he is living through it even as he opens his eyes to start the day, having little sleep because of the thoughts that kept him up, Yixing’s words echoing even when they were said hours before. His movements are sluggish as he walks around in his apartment to prepare for the day, remembering halfway through his shower that it is a Sunday and that he doesn’t have to go to work. He finishes washing himself though, his steps automatically taking him to the kitchen so he can make himself some breakfast, in the form of cereals. After pouring milk in his filled bowl, he brings his food to sit on the dining table. It is just such a shame that the furniture gives him a direct view of the kitchen. Unfortunate because this just reminds Yifan of Yixing, the days when the younger would come over and cook for him, their times at the grocery store where the actor would put back some of the items the elder put in their cart because they were either wrong or unnecessary for the preparation of their meal. The apron hanging by the hook that he has stuck to the side of the refrigerator triggers thoughts that fill his mind, his eyes supplying him an image pulled from his memory. As vivid as that day, Yixing is standing in front of the burner with his back to Yifan, wearing the white apron around his torso, the cloth reaching just above his knees. He hums a tune, just like he always does, as he stirs whatever it is in his pot, drawing some soup before testing it. The younger turns around with a smile on his face, beckoning the taller male, _"See if this is too spicy for you."_ Unknowingly, Yifan stands up, too caught up in the memories that he forgets that it is just that, a memory. The spoon he is holding in his right hand clatters against the tiled floor when he tries to move to his imaginary Yixing, the sound of stainless steel on marble waking his senses, pulling him back to reality where there is no Yixing, where it's just him in his cold, empty apartment. He sits back down, reaching for the spoon and abruptly, just as the thoughts entered his mind, his eyes started stinging, the tears blurring his vision. It is just the first day without Yixing in his life yet he’s already a mess.

He goes back to bed after washing his bowl, not feeling like doing anything but disappear beneath the covers. The tall male reaches for his smartphone, hoping his messages from last night were returned but all he sees in his chat box with Yixing are the texts he sent, feeling eery for not receiving any good morning greeting from the younger for the first time. He doesn’t know what to do, if he should keep sending messages to the actor until he replies, if he should call and try to apologize that way or if he should even dare to go to Yixing’s place, hoping the other will accept him and forget what happened the night before. But instead of doing any of that, Yifan sets the mobile device back to the nightstand, deciding to give the other the time and space he knows the actor needs. He thinks of messaging Lu Han just to see how Yixing is doing but he ends up agreeing that it won’t be the best choice, afraid that he’ll make himself an open target if he does so, knowing how protective the other is of his younger best friend. Even against his heart’s commands, the tall male goes for his laptop, searching for Yixing’s old performance video that he did not watch, desperate to see and hear the other even if it’s just through a recorded material.

Yifan isn’t even going to deny that there’s a pang of regret gnawing at his heart for uttering the words he said the night before especially when he hears Yixing’s voice take over and fill his ears, missing it in its normal tone whenever the younger talks to him. But the tall male was never really the type to keep such things to himself, always honest with the people he deals with and he thinks Yixing is someone he should always be honest with. He reckons his choice of words was just wrong and he allowed his emotions let loose without putting them on a leash, his words sounding inconsiderate and not well thought of, ending up hurting Yixing and eventually himself.

Yifan has been so attached with the actor, spending so much time with him, that he forgot what kind of relationship they have. His uncalled for jealousy, made him forget that he and Yixing are still _just friends_ , neither one of them have opened up about their real feelings for the other, if there is any that is more than just friendly. The days they spent with each other inside their apartments and the never ending exchanges of messages aggravated the feelings that made him seem like he is Yixing’s boyfriend with their only physical contact being holding hands. Halfway through the video, he stops it and closes his laptop, wanting to punch himself for being too hasty and not letting himself process things first before jumping on the other and demanding him to do things for his selfish reasons.

 

Yifan thought throwing himself into work will help him forget even just for eight hours a day that he and Yixing are not in good terms. But when he opens one of the old documents he had brought over to the younger’s place before, he sees something that the actor doodled at the corner of the second page, telling Yifan that it is him, the drawing having curly hair and a dimple. The elder remembers how the younger poked his head over the taller male’s shoulder, asking certain things and for Yifan to explain some words to him, pointing at the characters that are foreign to him. It makes him smile, albeit sadly, at the memories, huffing out a breath before continuing with his work, pushing back the thoughts that will surely keep him up at night.

When Zitao pokes his head in to remind Yifan to have lunch, that’s only when the team leader closes the folder he’s reading, nodding towards the other to indicate his confirmation. He leans back against his chair when the other leaves, feeling the tension on his shoulders before using his hands to massage them, the action bringing back an image of Yixing’s hand on his shoulders, the warmth of the smaller pair seeping through the fabric of his clothing as the younger eases the tension in his muscles and soothes him with the simple movements.

“Yifan,” Zitao’s call startles him, realizing only then that he closed his eyes and started thinking of his hands as Yixing’s, bringing relaxation to his body as is with the actor’s presence. He stands up when the marketing director hurries him and says, “Weizhou’s already reserved a table for us.”

 

“Weizhou, why don’t you go up first?” The marketing director suggests when he eyes Yifan playing with his food after scooping only three spoonfuls into his mouth. The secretary nods without arguing, knowing Zitao will do something to try to get to the bottom of his boss’ worries. He bows to the two before leaving, glancing at the team leader and backing away when Zitao nods as if to say he’ll take care of the elder.

Without prompt, the younger reaches his friend’s hand and takes the spoon from him, effectively pulling Yifan away from his thoughts. Zitao knows he only has a small window before the taller male retreats back to his own world so he goes straight to the point, “Something wrong with Yixing?” This makes Yifan look up and meet the other’s eyes, cursing internally because the younger knows him too well. The team leader averts his gaze from Tao’s all-seeing eyes but with a few coaxing words his resolve eventually caves in. He shares what happened, preparing himself for the younger’s judging stares and the long scolding he’s sure the other will be giving him. Halfway through, he can tell the marketing director is already criticizing him for his actions because of the way Zitao’s eyebrows are meeting in the middle with an angry expression pulling his face to the center.

“Before you say anything,” Yifan lifts a hand up, stopping the other before he can assault the elder with his tirade, “I know what I did was stupid and Yixing is right.”

“Good,” Zitao leans back, the furrow of his eyebrows smooths as he eyes Yifan, “What’s your plan now? You’re not going to want to prolong this.”

“I know that,” the elder wrings his hands, his palm sweating at the thought of seeing Yixing again, heart beating both with fear and elation, “but I also want to give him as much space as possible. I’ll keep sending him apology texts so he doesn’t think I’m just going to forget.”

“But that’s not enough, you know,” the younger places his arms on the table and leans forward, “if I was Yixing, I’d think you’re not sincere with your apologies.” When the elder stays quiet, Zitao adds, “You need to show him that you are.”

“I want to wait for him to reply,” the team leader answers, “I don’t want to go there knowing he hasn’t calmed down yet.”

“You fucked up.” Zitao says, plain and simple, not beating around the bush, not even bothering to be on his friend’s side.

Accepting defeat and having understood that he is at fault for the rift between him and Yixing, Yifan just nods and deflates, “Yeah.”

 

Yifan endures a whole week of not seeing Yixing, his eyebags heavier than he can remember them to be. He’s been looking so unhealthy lately that even the people at the office are worrying for him, something that’s never happened before. The President himself notices and urges the team leader to take a break but the tall male insists that he doesn’t need it and that there are things that only he can look over and work on. Even after saying so, his boss pushes him to go home earlier than the previous days, even retrieving his laptop case for him so he can leave quickly, telling him to get a good rest and recharge over the weekend. Reluctantly, Yifan takes his things and rides the elevator to the parking lot, footsteps heavy and slow as he walks towards his car. He just sits inside the car without starting the engine, exhaling deeply before hugging the steering wheel before placing his forehead on it. His mind travels to the people on the 24th floor and their concern for him, their urging for him to go and relax in the comfort of his apartment. What these people don’t know is that when he comes home, he doesn’t get to relax, his mind restless and his thoughts keeping him up until late.

When he opens his phone, he’s inclined to just give Yixing a call, already running out of options to hasten their reconciliation. But instead of doing so, he follows his heart and starts the engine, gunning his vehicle to the direction of the actor’s apartment. He arrives close to seven, the traffic heavier compared to other Saturdays. For a second he questions his decision, not stepping out of the car until he is one hundred percent sure about his resolve. Eventually, he leaves the vehicle, feeling suffocated inside it with the reminders of what happened the week before.

The tall male taps his foot against the tiled floor as he waits at the lobby, hoping the elevator will hear his impatience. When it arrives he hurriedly enters it, pushing the button to Yixing’s floor and praying that he will see the younger, even just a glimpse of him. He didn’t tell the actor that he will be coming over, not wanting to give the other a heads up in case he decides to flee. So when he knocks at the door and finds Lu Han opening it, he can’t deny that his heart breaks a little, especially when the elder’s face quickly changes upon seeing him.

“He’s not here,” the smaller male’s words are straight and sharp, cutting at Yifan’s flesh and not allowing him to drop a word. When Lu Han tries to close the door, the taller male’s brain jumpstarts and pushes against it, only to ask one question: “Is he alright?”

“He’s fantastic,” the elder answers sarcastically, still no hint of welcome on his face even if he doesn’t immediately close the door this time, “no thanks to you!”

“Lu Han,” Yifan knows he sounds pitiful, desperate, but that’s what he is, he just wants to see Yixing, hear him and touch him again, hoping all of that will be carried with just one word, “please.”

“Sorry, Yifan,” the elder shakes his head, his facial expression toning down a little bit to show a little sympathy to the other, “I’m just following orders.” The actor says honestly, looking to his left while the taller male’s gaze is downcast, “Just go, it’s not time yet.” Yifan’s arms lose strength in them, making it easy for Lu Han to finally close the door, leaving the taller male standing outside the apartment door, drowning in his own thoughts and emotions.

 

~///~

 

“You didn’t have to be that mean to him,” Yixing whispers, knowing Yifan is still just outside their door, “It’s not like he meant to hurt me.” Lu Han rolls his eyes then looks at the door before he reaches out for the younger’s arm to take him to his room.

“Let’s get this straight,” the elder says right when he closes the door to Yixing’s room. “You,” he points to the younger, “asked me,” then points to himself, “to push Yifan away if he comes here because you don’t want to see him.” The slightly taller male leans against the door, crossing his arms over his chest before adding, “You’re confusing,” he snorts in annoyance, “You both are.” The younger keeps his mouth shut, not really knowing what to say in reply, walking to take a seat at the edge of his bed.

“Can you be more honest to me and to yourself?” The elder pushes himself off the door and takes the space on Yixing’s right, “What exactly do you feel for Yifan? Are you even really mad at him?”

“I am,” the smaller of the two responds. Questioning the lack of conviction he had said the words with, he adds, “We’re not even together and he’s already constricting my freedom like that.”

“He’s just jealous,” Lu Han fires back, “people say and do crazy things when they’re jealous. Be thankful he didn’t just come up to Duyi and punched him in the face.” Yixing looks at his best friend with an incredulous expression, especially since the elder and his co-actor were in the same year at the Academy. “I never liked that guy either,” Lu Han admits, humming and nodding when he continues, “I’d have been on Yifan’s side if ever something like that did happen.”

“Lu Han!” The younger stops the other from saying such things, unbelieving of what his best friend is saying about someone he’s working with and one who he thinks is actually a nice person. “What are you saying about Duyi?”

“All I know is he’s a player, so you better watch out,” the elder taps the tip of his nose before doing the same to Yixing, the younger scrunching it up when his best friend’s pointer finger touches him.

“I’m just working with him.” The smaller male looks at his best friend with a confused look on his face, “Why do I have to worry about that?” The elder shrugs, telling the younger that he just wants him to be in the know so he can be careful around his co-actor.

“All I’m saying is it’s better Yifan than him,” to this, Yixing slaps Lu Han on the shoulder, the other faking a hurt expression which the younger doesn’t fall for. “I know he hurt you with his impulsive actions,” the elder explains himself, “but if you’re going to ask me who I’m voting for to be with you, I’d say Yifan, through and through.” The younger thinks of it for a second; if that is even a question that he will ask in the future. When he sees that Yixing is silent and has nothing to counter his words, Lu Han stands up and takes his leave, stopping by the door to tease the younger one last time, “Besides, I’m already sick of hearing you say you miss him.” The elder runs for it before Yixing can even reach for something to throw at his best friend, thankful that he has someone to vent out to, someone to be with him during difficult times and help him through it while cheering him on.

 

When Yixing lies down to finally get some sleep, if he’s able to tonight, that is, he remembers what happened roughly two hours before. He can’t deny the little skip of his heartbeat when he heard Yifan’s voice, something he’s been longing to hear; he has been fighting the urge to dial the elder’s number just to hear that voice which lulls him to sleep, picking up his phone and opening his contacts to scroll and find the tall male’s number but closing it altogether after just a split second. Every morning, he would receive a message from Yifan, a greeting and another apology and every single day he’s tempted to just reply and say he’s been forgiven. However, as strong as the urge is, Yixing’s self-control is overpowering it as well. He doesn’t know what the elder will do once he’s forgiven, he isn’t sure if along with his apologies is a promise that he will not demand anything regarding Yixing’s work again nor impede it in any way. If he needs to wait until the production is done, then he will do so. Yifan is important to him but so is his dream.

The younger wonders though if Yifan misses him as much as he longs to see the other. Not once did the elder send him a message saying _I miss you_ or _I want to see you_ , Yixing is not even sure if he’s that special to Yifan for him to be yearned for in such a way.

That night inside Yifan’s car, there were emotions that were pulling him in different directions but the one that won that night was his longing. Right when he entered his room, he allowed himself to cry and after squeezing the last drop of tear, his head already on his pillow, he thought to himself, “I already miss him.” He missed their daily exchanges via text, always getting surprised whenever Yifan used an emoticon in his message as the other was never fond of them, confessing that he’s only started using them due to Yixing’s insistence. Whenever the elder would reply without an emoji, the smaller male would always ask if he’s mad and sometimes he doesn’t even let the actor inquire anymore, sending a follow up message with just an emoticon and nothing else. The messages he sent Yixing throughout the week didn’t have any which only means that everything in that text was sent in all seriousness and the younger was once tempted to reply with just an angry emoji.

Wherever he looked, he would always see Yifan, proving further that he misses him more than anything. Right at the very moment he wakes up, the first person he thinks of is Yifan, reaching for his phone to see if the elder has sent him anything, smiling a little when he sees the other’s name, the curve turning the other way when he’s reminded of what happened through the taller male’s apology. When he gets to the theater, he remembers the day of the auditions when Yifan was hesitant about letting him go in by himself, worried for him more than he was for himself. The shops and restaurants around the area remind him of their lunches and dinners whenever Yixing passes by them, his brain would always supply him an image of himself and Yifan sat on a table, laughing and sharing food with each other as the elder tells him a story about one of his business trips or he would be the storyteller about his life in Changsha when he was younger. It only makes him want to go back to those days, rewind to the good days, erase that night and forget that it was ever part of their history. Unfortunately for him, magic doesn’t exist and he can’t just do as he pleases, he has to endure it.

His palms tingle whenever he walks to the train station, recalling the moments when the elder walked beside him with their hands clasped so that the other won’t get lost in the crowd. He would always look back, just to see if the elder is following him or he would look to his side to check if the sweat he feels on his palms is because of the taller male and not himself. But time and time again, he would always feel dejected after finding no Yifan in sight, his hands empty and without a larger one covering it effortlessly; the visual and sensations are just some of the things that his mind is cruel enough to give him.

Over the course of the day, his longing for the elder increases, the routine being the same as before, just without a physical Yifan for him to see and touch. He would wake up to a message from the elder and that is it, afraid to reply and open a conversation that he doesn’t think he is ready for just yet. The actor convinces himself that missing Yifan is better than looking so easy and desperate for the other. So when he gets home and finds it physically empty but filled with his memories with Yifan, he questions his decisions that morning. The first day was hard to endure, so after that he would always stop by Liyuan Theater to wait for Lu Han before coming home, needing the other’s distraction so he can take his mind off of Yifan. But it’s not always that his best friend is available as the other is in a relationship that also needs his attention. So when Yixing comes home without his best friend, forgetting just how much time he had spent with Yifan there, he almost runs away. A flood of memories come rushing out to keep him in place, chaining his feet to the ground so he can view a reel of where the other left his footprints inside the younger’s home. There’s an image of Yifan sitting on the couch, his arms lax as they watch a movie together, his lips are stretched wide as he strokes the other’s hair. Yixing sees himself closing his eyes at how gentle the large hand is bringing him to sleep. When he shakes his head another visual comes up, the elder is sat on the floor, different files scattered on the actor’s coffee table with his eyebrows creased. He sees that the taller male only relaxes when Yixing’s hands come up to massage him, his shoulder sagging under the younger’s ministrations. The younger forces himself to move, finding himself in the kitchen to fetch himself something to drink but what awaits him makes him freeze by the refrigerator. A vision of him trying to teach Yifan how to cut the vegetables has him tightening his grip on the handle of the fridge especially when he sees himself smiling at the elder who is trying his best to follow Yixing’s instructions, to impress him so he won’t receive any form of scolding. Once more the actor pulls himself out of the kitchen to get a cold shower, hoping it will help wash away every kind of emotion he has hidden inside him.

Once he thinks he’s completely forgotten and can have a peaceful sleep, he’s proven wrong again, the intensity of his desire to be with Yifan again only worsening as the night gets deeper. He lies awake, eyes darting from the window to the mobile device that is on the nightstand. His body is waiting for something, a call, specifically a call from Yifan. Ever since they started talking on the phone, it has become a habit that neither of them cannot go to bed without. It is like the elder’s good night wishes or simply just the thought of having him on the other end of the line is what completes his day, closes it shut and allows him to fall asleep without worries. That is the time of the day that Yixing dreads the most, when he has to go to sleep but his mind and heart are still not ready even if his body is exhausted from the day’s work. He curses then for allowing himself to be so dependent on the other but then again, he tells himself, there are things that one cannot control and one of them is falling in love.

 

~///~

 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Lu Han groans as he types into his phone, rolling his eyes at the fact that he has to do this himself. Minseok, who’s lying with his head on the Chinese male’s lap, glances up from the book he’s reading, turning his attention back to it when he sees his boyfriend tapping at the screen of his mobile device as if it is on fire with how rapid his fingers are moving.

“What _are_ you doing?” The Korean male asks, flipping the page of his book once he’s done with the previous one.

“I’m communicating with the _enemy_.” Lu Han emphasizes the last word, gaze moving to his phone to see if said enemy has already replied.

“Yifan?” Minseok inquires without lifting his eyes from the Chinese characters on his book.

“Yes, him,” the other grumbles in reply, “I feel like I’m betraying my best friend.” The elder closes his book and sits beside Lu Han, leaning his back on the headboard before taking his boyfriend’s phone, the younger not even fighting for the mobile device. He reads what the other’s exchanges have been, humming as he scrolls down.

 **To: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_Yixing’s play will open soon. Are you going?_

 **From: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_I want to but I don’t know if Yixing will like that I’m there_

 **To: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_It’s just a yes or no question, Yifan_

 **From: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_Yes_

 **To: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_Yixing gave me an extra ticket. I think that was originally reserved for you. Do you want it?_

 **To: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_What’s taking you so long? It’s just yes or no!_

 **From: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_Yes_

 **To: Yixing’s boyfriend(?)**  
_I can give it to you just give me your office address_

Minseok huffs, smiling at his boyfriend’s interaction with the taller Chinese before returning the device in the other’s hand just like how it was when he took it from him. Lu Han pouts, jumping a little when he feels the gadget vibrate in his hand. He reaches for a pen and paper to write down the address so he can delete his messages with Yifan, making sure to remove any incriminating evidence.

Lu Han leans his head onto his boyfriend’s shoulder and wraps his arms around Minseok’s waist, whose arm instantly falls on the younger’s shoulder, before getting the Korean’s attention with a whiny voice, “Baobei.” The Chinese tugs at the side of the elder’s shirt then continues, “Please come with me when I give the ticket to Yifan.” He looks up and uses his beautiful pair of brown orbs to coax the other into saying yes, batting his eyelashes to add an effect to his pleading, “Hmmm? Please?”

Minseok shakes his head and squeezes the younger’s shoulder, jokingly saying, “What, you’re going to make me an accomplice?” Lu Han nuzzles into the other’s neck before nodding his head against it, breathing in his boyfriend’s scent and smiling against the soft porcelain skin.

“Ride or die, right?” Lu Han whispers against the Korean’s skin, the hot and moist breath he lets out makes the other shiver and he can’t help but smile at his boyfriend’s reaction. He’s surprised when a hand is placed under his chin before his head is tilted up. Hot breath fans across his lips as Minseok hums and replies, “Ride or die.” Lu Han’s smile is covered by the other’s mouth, the curve disappearing as he moves his own to mold with his boyfriend’s coffee stained lips.

 

“Is there a seat in the back or something?” Yifan asks as he compares his ticket with Lu Han’s and Minseok’s, knowing the seating plan at Zhengyici Theater like the back of his hands due to the many times he’s checked their website, backing out every time he goes there to buy a ticket for the opening of Farewell My Concubine.

Lu Han looks at the taller male with a dumbfounded expression before looking to his left, Minseok shrugging at the other’s question. When the elder keeps looking at him in confusion, Yifan explains, “It might distract him if he sees that I’m watching.” The actor tries not to roll his eyes but they have a life of their own and disappears to the back of his skull anyway, unbelieving of the words coming out of the younger’s mouth.

“Look,” Lu Han takes two tickets from the other’s large hands, the younger looking like a kicked puppy when the actor hides it behind himself, “Yixing reserved a whole row for us. Now if you want you can just keep the ticket and not sit with us but hide behind one of the pillars.”

Yifan looks at the ticket in his hand, black with the title of the play in gold letters across it, the rest of the written words in a mix of red and white. Lu Han was waiting for the younger to say something more, to complain or try to back out again but instead of such words, the taller male looks up from the rectangular item in his hand. “Thank you,” he says before putting the ticket in the front pocket of his shirt

“We’re going to see you there, Wu,” the actor threatens him, “or else I’ll hunt you down.” With these parting words Lu Han and Minseok walk away with the Korean bowing as a goodbye before following his boyfriend.

“You scare me sometimes,” Minseok murmurs once they have the train station in sight.

“But you still love me, right?” Lu Han quickly switches, the edge in his voice while he was talking to Yifan now gone in exchange for the sickly sweet tone.

“I should question myself why,” Minseok answers but deep inside he knows he can’t unlove the adorable Chinese male even with his menacing looks and fickle behavior. So he pulls on his boyfriend’s hand who has decided that stopping in the middle of the sidewalk is a good idea.

“Stop whining,” the Korean tries his best to pull the other from his spot. Lu Han only moves with a smile blooming on his face when his boyfriend finally says, “you know I’ll always love you.”


	7. Act VII: Undying Love

“Looks like our boy is ready,” Zitao directs the words to Weizhou as he looks through Yifan’s open door, the elder deciding whether to close or unbutton the top of his shirt, the black silky material accentuating the planes of his chest and the muscles on his back and arms. The secretary looks at him and smiles, his boss has been asking him throughout the day if his outfit is alright or if he should put his hair down instead of pushing it back; he has never seen the elder look so agitated, not even when he has to face some of the senior directors of a different company. Yixing really has a different effect on him, Weizhou reckons, learning about the actor when Yifan slipped in one of their lunches that he now shares with his boss and sometimes along with Zitao. The younger does hope that everything works out with his boss and the actor because he has never seen him so happy, productive and friendly before Yixing came into his life. He looks at the clock on his desk that tells him it’s close to five already which might be the reason why the team leader is already busy fixing himself. Even knowing so, he still stands up and stays by the team leader’s door, on the opposite side from where Zitao is now leaning against the door frame.

“Boss, it’s ten minutes to five,” Weizhou informs the taller male who just throws a thumbs up towards his secretary’s direction whilst looking at himself in the mirror.

“Ready for war, soldier?” Zitao asks, coming into the room to get Yifan’s glasses before handing it to the elder.

The team leader rolls his eyes but takes the offered glasses, “Don’t make it sound so dramatic.”

“It’s your love life, of course it should be dramatic!” Zitao exclaims, removing his hand from his pocket to open his arms. By the way the elder is looking at him, the marketing director is sure that the words _Shut up_ are about to fall from his lips but Yifan just shakes his head and clicks his tongue before smoothing the non-existent creases on his shirt.

“Ge, stop worrying so much about how you look,” the younger places a hand on his friend’s shoulder, “I’m sure Yixing won’t care so much about it. Unless you look like a beggar.” Zitao sniggers at his own joke but it only pulls a frown on Yifan’s face. The marketing director then pushes him out of his own office, “Go and get your Juliet!”

“He’s not…” Yifan tries to retort but sees that he doesn’t have much time especially with the traffic and just turns around to get to the elevator with rushed footsteps. Everybody seems to be in the know as they greet him and cheer him on on his way to the elevator. He doesn’t dwell too much on it though, not with his sweaty palms and tachycardic heart because of the thought of seeing Yixing again, after what felt like an eternity.

 

Even with the heavy traffic, Yifan still arrives at his destination with enough time to find a parking space and stroll around the area where the Zhengyici Theater is located. Right when he gets out of his car, he feels his phone vibrate in the pocket of his jeans, deciding that the black pants match better with his shirt instead of wearing slacks as bottoms. He clicks the home button to see that it is a message from Lu Han.

 **From: Lu Han**  
_Text me if you’re already here. Yixing’s already doing his makeup._

Seeing the younger’s name on the message suddenly reminds him of what is going to happen soon, that in the next hour or so he will be able to lay his eyes on Yixing again. With a mixture of excitement and nervousness coursing through his veins, he types a reply, saying he just arrived and will find his way to the theater. Walking through the alleys lit by red lanterns hanging above him brings back the days when he would meet the actor after his practices. Sometimes they would walk the same path to grab dinner before going home, enthusiastically sharing what they did that day even if their eyes were already heavy with exhaustion. Yixing’s voice rings in Yifan’s ears when he nears the entrance to the theater, inconspicuously placed in the middle of the Hutongs, reminding people of the time when the art prospered and moved thousands. At the entrance, Chen Wen is already waiting for the tall male, with a preoccupied Fengsong beside him. The younger raises his hand to wave a hello to him, wondering how all of Yixing’s friends are still nice to him even after what happened.

“Lu-Ge can’t leave because Yixing-Ge might get suspicious,” Chen Wen informs him, the younger but taller Fengsong nodding along beside his senior. When Yifan first met the young man with the bubbly personality, he thought that Wen was also part of the opera scene but apparently he isn’t. His grandfather, being a Jingju enthusiast, holds a share in the Liyuan Theater which is why he frequents the place and eventually became friends with Yixing and Lu Han. He’s being pushed by his grandfather to do Peking Opera as well but even with his interest for the art, the young Chen rejected the idea. However this interest of his did urge him to major in acting when he entered college, which made Yifan ask him if he has plans of really going into the entertainment industry. The younger only smiled and told him that there have been offers for him and Fengsong but they are still wary about it.

“Should we go inside?” Yifan asks afterwards, the number of people at the entrance gradually increasing as the time for the show slowly approaches. The two college students nod their heads and lead him to the hall itself. The tall male has seen the theater many times from the outside but he has never gone inside it, so as he walks further into the renovated building, he muses about the surroundings.

Old and nostalgic is what Yifan would use to describe the place, the pictures on the wall of great opera actors and their performances framed and displayed for everyone to see and remember the glory days of Jingju. The building is well-preserved, having only minute changes from its original structure when the place was renovated in order to keep using it for performances. Yifan catches a whiff of the familiar scent of tea, the aroma mingling with the different fragrances that the theater goers have worn for the night. It reminds the tall male of the time he first watched Yixing’s performance as Bai Suzhen, the whole atmosphere in the hall bringing him back to that night and pulling a smile on his face.

“Ge,” Chen Wen’s voice pulls him from his thoughts, “our seat is over here,” the younger turns right and walks towards the front, stopping by the third row from the stage.

Fengsong who didn’t move and stayed beside Yifan, inquires with curiosity, “You’re really not going to sit with us?” The elder thinks about the answer he’s going to give, eyes roaming around the colourful surroundings, gaze drawn to the red paint that runs along and frames the whole structure that is made more intense because of the warm yellow lights that illuminate the hall.

Feeling the college student’s eyes still on him, the taller male faces the younger before smiling at him, “I’ll think about it.” Yifan nods towards the front where Chen Wen is already seated, “Go and sit beside Wen now.” He can see the hesitance in Fengsong’s eyes, the quiver of his lips before he finally nods and walks to where his friend is waiting.

Being all by himself, Yifan continues from where he left off, amused at the differences and similarities of the stage with the other Peking Opera theaters he has been to before. He wonders if the drums that are on the second floor of the stage will be used some time in the performance or if they are there simply for design purposes only. The paintings that line the upper portion of the second floor where the esteemed guests will be seated, reminds him of the ones he’s seen in other tourist spots that dot the center of China. The whole place itself gives off a regal feeling with the structure’s deep resemblance to that of palace and temple construction, seeing as the place was originally built within a temple.

The intricate details of the wooden frames that are on the hall’s roof makes Yifan question if he really is in the present or if he has been transported back in time. But then he sees the lightings and projectors that have been installed high up to aid the performances shown in the theater then the people in modern clothing and he remembers what year he is in. If that isn’t enough, a lady in red comes up the stage with a microphone in hand to inform the audience that the show will start in ten minutes. The orchestra, located on the extension to the left of the stage, takes the announcer’s leave as a cue to start playing to warm things up and thrill the viewers. Right on cue, Lu Han and Minseok emerge from the side where the entrance to the backstage is. They pass by Yifan and the older Chinese male even manages to tease him before taking their seats, “Enjoy the show, Mr. Wu.”

And Yifan does, eyes focused on the yellow draping on the stage as he leans his body against the red painted pillar beside him, remembering how similar it is to the one in Huguang Guild Hall. Only the stage lights are left on, the rest of the lights placed on the sides of the hall are either turned off or dimmed to make the audience focus on the performance area.

On the stage a set of chairs and tables are placed, coloured red to indicate that the scene is done in the place of a royalty. The percussions take over as pairs of female actresses enter the stage, their clothing in mint colour as they walk front and center before parting to flank each side of the stage. Their heads are covered with the same coloured cloth, framed by their headpiece. The garments and ornaments don’t have the same lavishness as the ones Yifan has seen on stage before, making it quite easy for him to look away from them when somebody else comes out from behind the yellow curtains.

The crowd erupts in cheers and applause when Yixing comes in, his costume as Consort Yu is elegant and in Yifan’s opinion, something that fits the actor well in every aspect. The clothing makes him stand out from the rest of the people on stage. The yellow cape that is tightly knotted around his neck by a yellow ribbon is lined with blue and embroidered with golden threads and what looks like the finest of gems, singles him out as the lead. Beneath the cape, the elder can see the younger’s garments in yellow and white; a crescent-shaped armour with red tassels dangling from its outline is placed over his chest, a matching one that covers his lower area is held by a belt around his waist where his sword also hangs from.

Even from where he is, Yifan can see the carefully painted line of eyebrow and the pinkish tint that highlights Yixing’s eyes, his lips coloured crimson. His face, unlike his former headdresses that makes the viewer stray from the actor’s expression, is framed by colourful flowers with simple embellishments pinned to his hair. Atop his head is a Ruyi coronet, golden in colour, once more emphasizing the character’s nobility, the Ruyi plates on top of it are low in the front and high at the back with strands of pearls dangling from them.

When Yixing opens his mouth to start singing his first line, Yifan is captivated once again. The delicate gesture of the younger’s hands complement his song, moving them to show the pale blue on the other side of Consort Yu’s cape. His graceful movements cast the tall male in a trance as he follows the actor’s every step, uncaring of the others who are on the stage with Yixing. He focuses all of his attention to the younger even as another voice tries to talk over the actor’s melodic singing.

The stage is then intruded by soldiers, two men who are in distinctly differing garments and then the last man enters, his face is painted in black and white much like a mask. The audience roars again like they did when Yixing entered the stage, prompting Yifan that the man behind the long beard and heavy robes is Xiang Yu, played by Chuan Duyi. He breathes in deeply, having reconciled with the fact that it is something that he cannot control, something that he cannot interfere with if he wants to keep Yixing happy with what the younger is doing. So Yifan clenches his hands, balling them into fists as Duyi takes the stage. Distracting himself, the tall male focuses on the clothes that Duyi is wearing, black with golden embroidery on them. Nearing the lower end, just below his stomach hangs a net tassel in the same golden yellow colour. Above his head are red velvety balls held together by a golden headpiece, the small objects are raised high and quiver as the actor moves his head. He poses with a staff in his hand, the prop posing as the King’s black horse, the yellow cloth and black tassels that are hanging on it are still as he sings his lines. Another indicator of his high rank is the thickness of the white heels of his footwear, something that Yifan has seen before and has only realized after Yixing taught him more about the little things that make big differences in Jingju.

The scene quickly changes to include Yixing in the picture, Consort Yu bowing to the King with her hands holding her cape up as she does so. Yifan inhales deeply at the first contact, the Consort putting a hand over the King’s arm as the people behind them serve as prop movers. The elder concentrates on watching Yixing instead, not allowing the presence of the other actor to ruin the night and the performance for him.

Yifan watches as Yixing’s face contorts with different emotions, looking distraught at first, wanting to hear battle stories from Xiang Yu. His voice fills the hall as the orchestra plays only after he has delivered his line, his hand movements entrancing as they flow from one side to the other, hooking at the sleeves of his clothing from time to time to give emphasis to the form of his fingers.

The two main actors walk on the stage as if they have changed locations, the King moving to stand behind the table, singing as Consort Yu takes the seat on the chair in front of it. They share a toast, exaggeratedly tipping their goblets at the same time before Yixing sings his lines in response, standing up afterwards to fill their cups once more while it is the King’s turn to deliver his lines. They share another drink but this time Consort Yu secretly spills the contents of her cup and Yifan can see her expressions change again to one filled with sorrow, especially when she is facing the audience and not her companion. It could be because she knows that it might be the last time she will share a drink with her beloved.

The King then leaves the stage, Consort Yu having it all to herself, the drums accompanying her as she moves around the space. Yixing moves back to retrieve what Yifan can only deduce as a lamp, the drums that play along with the actor’s footsteps instilling fear in the elder’s heart as he watches the smaller male dance with the source of light in his hands. Yixing’s expression doesn’t change even as the gong tinkles whenever he has his back to the audience. He eventually returns to the table, setting the lamp on it before sitting down and placing his head on his hands, eyes fluttering shut as a group of men cross the front of the stage.

Suddenly awoken, Yixing stands up, moves towards where the orchestra is before backing up and facing the audience again, the shrill quality of his voice never disappearing. The ensemble plays and he moves along to the melody they have practiced for him, hands opening his cape before letting them fall down to join his hands, the graceful pair and his expressive digits sharing with Yixing’s face for the elder’s attention.

For a moment Yifan wants to move and take the seat that is reserved for him, the way Yixing’s cape moves when the younger spins has the taller male leaning forward, as if it is pulling Yifan towards the stage, towards Yixing. But he stills himself and keeps his body where he is, afraid that his presence will distract the actor and will make him lose focus.

The taller male restrains himself from moving forward as he sees fear in Consort Yu’s eyes while she stays on the stage alone, lamenting about the fall of her King, something that Yifan can sympathize with seeing as he has a bit of an idea now what will happen at the end of the play. At one point Yixing covers his face with the cape, his hand moving as if to wipe tears from his eyes before lowering the cloth and showing his hand that is gesturing as if it is throwing his tears to the ground.

A frightened expression takes over her face once more when a group of male voices sing a song oozing in pain; the soldiers of Han pretending to be soldiers of Chu to trick the King into thinking that everyone has turned their backs to him. She moves around the stage as if to locate where the sound is coming from then four men come in holding instruments and swords. On the side, hiding her face behind her cape, Consort Yu eavesdrops on the conversation as members of the group talk by themselves, sharing their worries to one another.

Yixing moves about the space once the group has left the stage, eyes widening with concern at what his character heard from the others. Consort Yu worries by herself, in the middle of the stage, the unease conveyed through Yixing’s voice. Yifan is amazed at how the younger can make the viewers feel such heavy emotions with just his singing, the feeling gripping at the taller male’s heart as another set of voice instills fear to Consort Yu. The actor moves his hands as if they are trembling, the motion exaggerated tenfold to express better just how frightened the concubine is. She makes circles around the stage while holding the edge of her cape, hurried footsteps as she repeats it until the King joins her on the stage once again.

They move to part and take one side of the stage each, facing each other slowly when the songs of the soldiers reach their ears. Their movements compliment and mirror each other’s at times. With the King’s commanding presence and excellent control of his voice, Yifan cannot deny that Chuan Duyi is a good actor, making him accept even further that this is a job that the other is made for. The following exchange between the two artists, with their perfect vocalization, calls for a round of applause from their audience and Yifan himself has both hands clapping at the performers’ show of excellent skills, completely forgetting his anger for Xiang Yu’s actor.

The pair dances around the stage while the King sings after having emptied his cup of wine. Consort Yu’s face is one of worry once more, hiding behind her cape as she wipes the fresh tears before flicking them off from her fingers.

Yixing’s siren-like voice fills the hall as he slowly folds in on himself in front of the other character, his cape hiding half of his face. He stands up with the other’s help and with his fingers he gestures for the King to take a seat as he backs away and shows the other where he will be going.

The clapper and the gong accompanies the King as he awaits Consort Yu’s return, hand stroking his beard until his favourite concubine returns without her cape and her swords drawn out of their sheath and held close to her left shoulder.

He’s surprised when the younger lowers his hand, his fingers folded with just his pointer and middle finger up, raising his left foot at the same time. He does the same thing again, this time moving his hand and lifting it by his right side while raising his right foot to overlap with his left. With drunken movements, the actor moves towards the front of the stage, hand trembling as he lifts it up to wipe his tears again before shaking them off, casting aside the pain for Consort Yu to be able to perform her best for what might inevitably be the last time in front of the King of Chu. The motion of his arms and his hips has Yifan effectively charmed, the dance taking the younger’s lithe body all over the place as he bows in front of the King and walks with speedy steps with the sword cradled in his arm. The orchestra accentuates his movements, the whole ensemble coming together when Yixing starts the dance, as if all worries have been cast aside, the accompaniments stopping whenever he does and continuing only when he starts moving again.

Attracted by the dance and Yixing’s voice as his body moves along with the song, Yifan steps to stand in front of the pillar, hoping that the dim lights will help in keeping him covered. His eyes are drawn to the pair of swords in the actor’s hands when the younger moves them like scissors to show both blades. He then places one of the pair in each hand before spinning and going around in circles with the swords following his movements like they are extensions of his arms. Sometimes he frames his face with the blades, crossing them above or beside his head or by his front. Yifan smiles and bites his lips with pride swelling from his chest when he sees Yixing using the swords like batons, spinning them by their handles before posing with his legs bent. The elder knows how much the actor has practiced just to perfect the movements, even bringing some of the prop swords home so he can train himself with them even during his days off. The elder holds his breath though when Yixing places both blades together in one hand once again, his fingers folded again to follow the length of the blade while he lifts his left leg up, bent on the knee. The music that plays along with it helps with building suspense as Yixing dips the sword once then once more before spinning the blades with just his wrist moving. Holding the swords with both hands, he spins and poses with his folded fingers before moving from the edge of the stage towards the middle, squatting every now and then with the sword pointed outwards. The music gradually turns silent and takes on a paced tempo before speeding up once more as Yixing separates the blades and spins them by the handle. He crosses the blades once he’s down on the ground, moving his arms like he is showing it for all to see, quickly standing up to dance with the swords once more.

Yifan stands in awe as he watches how quickly the actor moves with the music from slow to fast, back and forth. Yixing uses his swords to hypnotize the elder who is enraptured by his dance, by the way his clothes move with every spin and twirl, the tassels that hang on his armour adding life to his actions. His head follows where his blades are pointing at, eyes darting as he moves his swords alternatingly. The stringed instruments crescendo as Yixing artfully spins the swords, gradually slowing down and overlapping them once more as he lowers himself, not allowing his body to reach the ground so he can turn. He bends his body, head upside down as he looks at the audience while he raises his crossed swords, the crowd cheers at the feat made by the actor. Yixing doesn’t keep the position for long to turn back and face the viewers, right knee bent as he lifts his swords. The actor swiftly moves his swords, overlapping them as if he is creating a big circle with it, doing the motion multiple times before using each sword to make smaller circles with the movement of his wrist. Yixing ends the sword dance with a pose, a blade close to his face while the other is pointing outwards to another direction, his facial expressions in keeping with what he wants to convey throughout the execution of his rhythmic movements. The painful yet beautiful last performance of the concubine for her King urges the audience to erupt in applause again as the actor keeps his stance.

Consort Yu moves after a while, joining her swords once more then wiping the sweat off her face before bowing in front of the King, hoping her dance was able to somehow lift his spirits.

However, one of the King’s men comes in to inform them that they have been surrounded by their enemies. Xiang Yu pulls his consort to escape but Yu Ji rejects it once more, asking for her husband to kill her instead. The concubine’s words, “This camp will be my burial tomb,” puts Yifan on edge, mirroring the King’s feeling of devastation at his beloved’s request.

The concubine dabs her fingers to her eyes before flicking the imaginary tears off as Xiang Yu responds to reject her request, “I have no strength to kill you.”

Disappointed that her beloved cannot fulfill her last request, Yu Ji huffs a breath before explaining to the King, “I will not be an obstacle to your flee.” Yixing moves around the stage and uses his hands to add gravity to his words, trembling in fear for what might befall the King.

For a moment, Yifan wonders why Consort Yu didn’t just use the swords she had in her hands while she was dancing but then it clicks, being reminded by the story that he had learned in school years ago. Yu Ji, in order to be the King’s equal even after death, wants to to die using her beloved’s sword, her previous dance only punctuating the hurt she was going through with the realization of their final time together. It being the most loyal thing a concubine can do, she fights to end her life with the blade of her beloved, not wanting for the soldiers of Han to get their hands on her. The taller male’s eyes move to the ones on stage again, his palms sweating for the expected final moments of the play.

With the King not allowing for either of them to die at camp, Consort Yu tries her best to take Xiang Yu’s sword since the other is not giving her the death she has asked for. The King guards his blade, spinning around the stage with a hand on his sword’s handle to keep it away from his beloved’s hands. Yifan watches on with wide eyes, hoping against hope that it will somehow end on a happy note despite the title being ominous, indicating the departure of the concubine. From where he is in the shadows of the hall, he looks on as distraught contorts Yixing’s face, palms rubbing against one another as Consort Yu thinks of a way to get to the sword.

Then the music stops, the concubine poses as if she just had an idea, hands poised to the side of her face before moving closer to the King. In a fit of desperation, Consort Yu turns to distracting Xiang Yu, pointing towards the front as she tells her companion that the Han soldiers have entered the camp. Fearing the truth in her words, the King turns and asks where the intruders are making his sword open for the other to pull it out from its covering. Yifan’s breath hitches when he sees that the concubine is successful with her plans, eyes widening as big as saucers when Consort Yu whirls to move to the tables, away from the King with the blade at the level of her neck. The gongs resound loud as she finally takes her own life, slitting her throat with Xiang Yu shouting in despair for the loss of his beloved.

Yifan gulps as his gaze traces Yixing’s features from his closed eyes to his unmoving lips, thankful that none of it is real. However, the pain is still evident in his heart as he looks on at the younger’s still figure sat on the chair while the other actor lifts the edges of his clothing. The elder cannot help but sympathize with the King, what happened two weeks ago resonating to the now, as if he had lost Yixing once more. His mind runs a mile a minute, forgetting that the play is still ongoing. Above all things however, one thought prevails: he doesn’t want either him or Yixing to feel such pain again.

 

~///~

 

Words of congratulations and a bunch of flowers wait for Yixing when he enters the backstage area, the actor making a beeline for his dressing room, occasionally bowing to show his gratitude. When he’s finally seated, he gets a good look of himself, his makeup still set in place and his headdress still perfectly sitting atop his head. His mind races, adrenaline still pumping through his veins even after finishing his first performance as Consort Yu. He remembers the stage, the lights and his friends in the third row who were both ecstatic and reserved as they watched Yixing on stage. But when his eyes travelled further from the row of seats where his friends were, the actor saw the silhouette of a tall figure, the outline of something he can be sure was Yifan. Throughout the performance, his eyes darted to one of the pillars at the back of the hall where he saw the form leaning against it. However, he was never able to prove his assumptions right, since his focus needed to be on his job and the dim lighting rendered to keep the man in the shadows.

After successfully removing the ornaments on his head and unwinding the piece of cloth that holds the black plastic pieces so he can have a more feminine hairstyle, he reaches for the makeup remover and wets a piece of tissue with the liquid. Hands weigh heavily on his shoulders before a chorus of _Congratulations_ startle him. Lu Han, Minseok, Wen and Fengsong clap his back as they share their favourite parts in the play. Yixing thanks them, promising them dinner for coming to watch but surprisingly the four men reject the offer, something that they never do – decline free food. They excuse themselves afterwards, telling the actor that they will leave him to prepare to go home and will be waiting at the entrance of the theater. Yixing doesn’t think much about it and just nods, his face still fairly covered by heavy cosmetics. Without wanting his friends to wait for too long, he hurries and removes his performance clothes before washing his face. As he puts his t-shirt on and wears his pants, his eyes are set on the elegant garments he had just gotten himself out of, still quite mesmerized by the fact that he is now the actor who plays the titular role. Snapping out of his thoughts, Yixing rushes out of the building, stopping by the hall that is now empty, the warm yellow lights now turned off. His eyes follow the outline of the stage, knowing by memory what it looks like even with little to no light. He sighs, still unbelieving of the fact that he is able to perform on that stage, its grandeur hidden in the shadows of the night like Yixing’s feelings for Yifan that will probably never see the light of the day with the gap between them.

With great reluctance, the actor pulls himself away from the hall to meet with his friends outside. What he sees waiting for him however, pulls a gasp from him, the same figure he saw leaning against the pillar is now standing close to the opening of the theater. And now he can be one hundred percent sure of who it is. _Yifan._

The image of the taller male brings him back to the day he met Yifan, the elder holding a bouquet again just like that first night. His hand flies to his mouth when the other finally looks at him, Yifan’s lips quivering around his smile when he meets Yixing’s gaze. The actor pushes aside the noise his friends make to focus on the other man who is approaching him, taking his breath away like he has been doing from the very first time they met.

“Hi,” Yixing can hear the lack of certainty in the other’s voice, hesitant as he lifts the bouquet towards the actor. The younger reaches for the flowers, closing his eyes as he takes a whiff of its fragrant smell. When he looks up to meet the pair of brown eyes that never left him, Yixing feels his own watering when he hears the deep voice say, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Yixing doesn’t even think twice when he responds. Yifan’s eyes widen at the younger’s reply, his brain unable to register what his arms are doing, only able to utter his apologies once the actor is already caged within his arms.

“I’m sorry,” the elder can feel tears rolling down his cheeks as well as he buries his face into Yixing’s neck, repeating the words as he drowns in the scent of the actor. “I’m sorry, I’m so stupid, I’m so sorry.” The younger shakes his head, his arms tightening around Yifan’s waist, mirroring the elder’s hold around his shoulder.

“I missed you so so much,” Yifan’s heart flutters when he hears the younger’s confession, telling him that he’s already been forgiven, a long time ago. He pulls away to look at the younger, eyes searching for any hint of lie in the other’s face but the brown orbs that meet his are shining with sincerity as he repeats, “I’ve forgiven you, Yifan.” Carefully, the elder leans down, planting his forehead against Yixing’s, the tip of his nose rubbing against the younger’s.

“The past two weeks that I didn't spend with you were the worst days of my life.” Against the actor’s lips, the elder let his words loose, allowing himself to say what has been lodged in his throat in Yixing’s absence. Honesty paints every syllable he utters, “I can't be without you anymore, Yixing.” And his next words pull a gasp and a torrent of tears from the younger, “I love you.” Yifan sees the actor’s hand fly over his own mouth, eyes wide in question if he heard the words right, spilling more tears when the taller male repeats the confession.

“Can I kiss you?” Yifan’s voice is low and almost breathy when he asks, a part of himself cannot believe that he is actually asking such a question, his restraints still strong even with the younger’s lips glistening and luring him into tasting the luscious pair. But when Yixing replies yes, his breath hot against the elder’s lips, the taller male pats himself on the back before leaning further down to mold their lips together, something that he hopes he’s not been the only one who’s wanting to do for the longest time. As their lips move languidly, wanting to savour the moment, their hands move to grab at each other’s clothes and body parts; shoulders, necks, arms and faces. They acquaint themselves with each other’s body, uncaring for who might be their audience. In between their kisses, Yifan interjects a few words that cross his mind, ease settling onto his shoulders now that he knows what his position is in the younger’s life.

“I’ve done some thinking,” the elder says before diving back down to steal another kiss from Yixing’s lips.

The younger hums and plays along with the other, “Like what?”

Without stopping his thoughts, Yifan spills, “We'll go to Canada. We'll get married there.”

“Wait,” the actor pushes the other by the chest, a confused expression on his face before he continues, “You haven't even asked me to be your boyfriend yet.”

But instead of being sorry for forgetting the proper flow of things, Yifan just looks at Yixing and answers with full confidence, “You already kissed me. That means you're already mine.”

The pain that Consort Yu has struck into Yifan's heart as she used her husband's blade to end her life is eliminated by the sparkle in Yixing's eyes, the curve of his lips so wide causing his dimple to appear as he breathes out, "Yours."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Click to watch [Farewell My Concubine](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4OTIAMi8suI)


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